Research in biomarkers, immunology and antibodies

Focus areas & research aims

Psychiatric illnesses

We search for biomarkers in the newborn that can increase our knowledge and understanding of the development and/or predict the later diagnosis of psychiatric illnesses, particularly within autism and ADHD.

CODIBINE

Correlations and Diagnoses for Biomarkers in Newborns. This project includes all preterm births within two full years with matching controls born at term. We investigate biomarkers that can explain the preterm birth and its complications.

Multiplex protein analyses

We design and develop analyses for research projects of our own and for others – both as research collaborations and as an assay service. We are specialized in analyzing inflammatory markers in protein extracts from full blood dried out on filter paper, where there is very limited material available, but we can also perform analyses on a variety of sample types, including plasma and serum. In addition, we are able to, and have experience with, analyzing nearly all sample types stored in the Danish National Biobank.

We have a high throughput setup and we have done analyses in project including up to 80,000 samples. SSI Antibodies is part of our section, which we take great benefit from. Several of our assays thus include high quality antibodies from SSI Antibodies. In addition, we have the possibility to design and produce novel antibodies, if our research projects require this.

Highlighted publications

• Delivery Modality Affect Neonatal Levels of Inflammation, Stress, and Growth Factors.
• Effects of blood sample handling procedures on measurable inflammatory markers in plasma, serum and dried blood spot samples.
• Multiplex assays of inflammatory markers, a description of methods and discussion of precautions - Our experience through the last ten years.
• Reduced neonatal brain-derived neurotrophic factor is associated with autism spectrum disorders.
• Simultaneous measurement of 25 inflammatory markers and neurotrophins in neonatal dried blood spots by immunoassay with xMAP technology.
• The correlates of neonatal complement component 3 and 4 protein concentrations with a focus on psychiatric and autoimmune disorders.

Examples of research projects

• CODIBINE - Correlations and Diagnoses for Biomarkers in Newborns
• iPSYCH - The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research
• Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort

Links to related content

• Research in the Department of Congenital Disorders
• Screening for congenital disorders (page is in Danish)
• Flyer about the newborn screening program