132685Feasibility Study for an activity-based Immunoassay for the detection of pancreatic elastaseClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKPancreatic Insufficiency (PI) is a condition that occurs in a range of diseases including chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disorders. Often, diagnosis is delayed as symptoms don't appear until almost all of the pancreatic function is lost. Pancreatic Elastase (PE), one of the enzymes normally released by the pancreas, has been identified as a biomarker of pancreatic insufficency. Measuring the active form of PE can provide information about pancreatic function and help in the prognosis of a range of PI-related diseases. Low faecal PE levels are shown to be related to poor survival in patients with pancreatic cancer, meaning that PE levels could be used to help predict survival in those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Diagnosis of PI before a patient shows symptoms involves invasive tests, some of these requiring hospitalisation. Other tests for PI are indirect, non-specific, unpleasant and limited. This project aims to use our technology to develop a quick and easy test to measure only the active form of PE. We plan to develop special molecules called ProteaseTags® and use them to create an activity-based immunoassay (ABI) for the detection of active PE in clinical samples with a precision that is not possible with current tests.