Nova Mentis Life Science Corp. (CSE: NOVA | FSE: HN3Q | OTCQB: NMLSF), a biotechnology company and global leader in first-in-class psilocybin-based therapeutics and complementary diagnostics for neuroinflammatory disorders is proud to announce that it has signed a research agreement with the University of Central Florida (UCF) Research Foundation to develop a saliva serotonin assay.
Dr. Kiminobu Sugaya, a Professor and Head of Neuroscience in the Burnett School of Biomedical Science at UCF, will measure serotonin levels in the saliva samples collected as part of the recently launched NOVA autism spectrum disorder (ASD) observational study.
“This scientific relationship with Dr. Sugaya and UCF will allow the development of a potential groundbreaking serotonin assay that will measure levels of serotonin that is contained within vesicles, or small fluid-filled sacs, that migrate through the blood brain barrier,” “Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter that has been implicated in the development of autism spectrum disorder and the ability to measure its levels in a patient’s saliva will potentially assist NOVA in predicting disease development and in establishing specific treatable subsets of diseases that makeup the ‘spectrum’ called autism. Moreover, the establishment of this biomarker in the saliva of ASD patients will allow healthcare professionals to monitor levels of serotonin and assess the efficacy of various treatment programs.”
Dr. Marvin S. Hausman MD, Chairman of NOVA’s Scientific Advisory Board
NOVA has recently launched an IRB approved ASD observational study in North America and specimens of a patient’s saliva and buccal check cells are being collected. The cheek cells, in addition to measurement of serotonin saliva levels, will allow study of the neuroinflammatory mRNA genetic profile of ASD patients. The research objective is to develop a genetic neuroinflammatory and serotonin data bank that will help establish a ‘Diagnostic Index’ – an objective set of tools that helps to differentiate subtypes of ASD and the major genetic subset of ASD, fragile X syndrome (FXS), and to develop more accurate methods of diagnosis and treatment.
Collected data will be analyzed using customized machine learning algorithms and used to guide design of upcoming clinical trials that will test the efficacy of psilocybin-based therapeutics in ASD and FXS.
NOVA is currently enrolling participants in the study and is aiming to recruit at least 300 qualifying participants; 200+ ASD/FXS patients and 100+ neurotypical controls.
For more information on this research, visit: novamentis.ca/autismstudy. To express your interest in participating in this study, please complete the enrollment form.
About Nova Mentis Life Science Corp.
Nova Mentis Life Science Corp. is a Canadian-based biotechnology company and global leader in developing diagnostics and psilocybin-based therapeutics for neuroinflammatory disorders. Nova is the first biotech company to achieve orphan drug designation in both the United States and European Union for the use of psilocybin in the treatment of Fragile X Syndrome.