Moleculera Labs Gets OCAST Grant for Neuropsychiatric Panel Development

Moleculera Labs has been given a two-year, $300,000 matching grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.

The grant is meant to speed the development of new diagnostic testing panels that identify autoantibodies capable of targeting neuronal antigens in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, the company said Tuesday.

The tests are meant to address the underlying cause of a disorder rather than just point out ways to control symptoms.

The Cunningham panel for identification of PANS and PANDAS, neurological conditions in children caused by infectious agents, is one such assay in development.

Moleculera Labs is based at the University of Oklahoma. — Jason Scott