Project description
Closing a diagnostic gap in X-linked disorders
Men are particularly vulnerable to X-linked genetic disorders due to their genetic makeup. However, thousands of women in Europe are also at risk. A genetic quirk known as skewed X-inactivation can trigger fatal symptoms in female carriers. Unfortunately, a lack of reliable tests often leaves women unaware of the risk. The ERC-funded TRiXi project aims to close this gap with a new, fast, and accurate method for detecting this condition. Already in use in Swedish clinics, the tool helps doctors confirm diagnoses that were previously missed. By turning this research into a standard medical test, TRiXi is providing better care for millions of women and opening a new chapter in female health.
Objective
Disease-causing mutations on the X-chromosome (‘X-linked’ disorders) typically only affect men. However, due to a genetic phenomenon called skewed X-inactivation (sXCI), thousands of girls and women in Europe also develop serious and often life-threatening X-linked disorders every year. As there is no reliable test for sXCI in humans, women carrying mutations are typically unaware of their risk, and when symptoms do develop, diagnosis is delayed. We have developed a method for quick, cheap and accurate detection of sXCI; Tandem Repeat-based Identification of X-chromosome Inactivation (TRiXi). We will take TRiXi from a cutting-edge research method to an in vitro diagnostic test for sXCI in female carriers of X-linked mutations. Following requests from clinical colleagues, TRiXi has been used to assess disease risk or confirm diagnoses for multiple life-threatening X-linked disorders in patients from Clinical Genetics Units across Sweden, confirming its real-world clinical utility and the unmet need for a standardized assay for sXCI in the clinic. TRiXi has additional commercial potential as a Research Use Only test kit to serve the large and expanding field of research into female medical health. I have filed a priority patent application for TRiXi, joined the business incubator at Linköping University, and assembled a team with expertise in business, patenting, and regulatory affairs to successfully translate my innovation. Over 1 million women are carriers of mutations for serious X-linked disorders, in Europe alone. This represents a large patient population requiring a better standard of care, that can be delivered by TRiXi, and a significant and largely untapped commercial potential. Over the next 18 months, we plan to: (i) establish a regulatory strategy for each market path, (ii) validate the unmet need through thorough market verification, (iii) continue IP protection, and (iv) finalize technical improvements/tests to prepare TRiXi for commercialization.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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581 83 Linkoping
Sweden
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