A startup that aims to deliver a blood test to identify a biomarker linked with a specific subtype of autism—and then potentially develop early behavioral interventions and treatments—has raised $19 million to kick-start its operations.
MARAbio derived its name from a particular pattern of antibodies carried by the child’s mother, which research has shown can react with eight different proteins found in the developing brain. Maternal autoantibody-related autism, or MARA, has been associated with about 20% of all diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder.
Based on research licensed from the University of California, Davis, the Salt Lake City-based company has said that certain patterns of the autoantibodies may also be able to predict the severity of autism compared to other combinations.
A previous study published in the Nature journal Molecular Psychiatry showed that maternal plasma samples linked to at least two of the eight fetal brain proteins lined up perfectly with diagnoses of autism.
MARAbio hopes to develop its blood test into a diagnostic aid for young children who may be missing developmental milestones as well as a tool for women to gauge the potential risk before they become pregnant.
“MARAbio has developed the first-ever blood test for a mother that detects autoimmune-related autism in her child, and our series A funding round is a significant milestone that will accelerate our ability to bring this test to families in 2025,” CEO Michael Paul, Ph.D., said in a statement.
The financing was led by MAK Capital. Paul said the proceeds will also support the early work on pharmaceutical therapies that can neutralize the autoantibodies behind MARA.
“This capital raise will enable the commercialization of a powerful new diagnostic tool to benefit potentially millions of families, pre- and post-pregnancy,” said MAK Capital CEO Michael Kaufman, who joined MARAbio’s board of directors alongside the firm’s Craig Nemiroff.