Endotrophin & PRO-C6 | Webinar
November 3, 2025
Online
Collagen VI Biomarkers for Mechanism, Prognosis, and Drug Development
Overview
Type VI collagen sits at the intersection of fibroblast activation, fibrogenesis, and wound healing. Two assays quantify distinct aspects of this axis:
- NordicPRO-C6™ measures total type VI collagen formation via the α3 chain, which contains 12 von Willebrand factor (vWF) binding domains—more than any known protein. These domains can bind and activate platelets independently of vWF, releasing TGF-β and PDGF and linking platelet biology to fibroblast activation, fibrosis, and wound repair.
- NordicEndotrophin™ isolates Endotrophin, a 77-aa hormone released during type VI collagen synthesis. Endotrophin lacks vWF-binding domains but directly drives fibroblast activation and fibrogenesis. It represents the biologically active subpopulation within the broader pool of collagen VI formation fragments.
Together, these assays provide complementary insights: PRO-C6 reflects total collagen VI formation, while Endotrophin isolates the signaling activity of Endotrophin, offering a more nuanced understanding of fibrotic processes. This pairing enables diagnostic, prognostic, and pharmacodynamic readouts and supports regulated deployment on diagnostic platforms.
What you can expect to learn
- ECM essentials: nomenclature, serological biomarkers, and where they fit in development programs.
- Endotrophin as an active collagen hormone that molecularly initiates wound-healing programs and fibrogenesis.
- Endotrophin & PRO-C6: connecting fibroblast activity, tissue repair, and outcomes; weight-dependent and weight-independent modulation.
- Type VI collagen risk biology: why this collagen is “unique and dangerous.”
- Outcomes and indications: evidence positioning Endotrophin as an outcome biomarker in CVD, kidney, skin, lung, and fibrostenosis.
- Genetics to serum: GWAS/Mendelian randomization linking Endotrophin to cardiovascular outcomes and how to operationalize serological endpoints.
- Assay deployment: regulatory support, technical performance, and platform implementation for trials.
Topics
1. Introduction: ECM and biomarker nomenclature
– Short orientation to ECM remodeling and serological readouts.
– Where collagen-derived neo-epitopes fit in MoA, enrichment, and PD.
2. Endotrophin: a collagen-derived hormone
– Molecular origin during collagen VI synthesis (77-aa release).
– Direct effects on fibroblasts; initiation of wound-healing/fibrogenic programs.
3. Understanding type VI collagen
– Architecture and α3 chain features; 12 vWF-binding domains and platelet activation; TGF-β/PDGF release.
– Why collagen VI is central across fibrotic pathologies.
4. Assay spotlight: NordicPRO-C6™ vs. NordicEndotrophin™
– PRO-C6: total type VI collagen formation/pool.
– Endotrophin: selective quantification of the active signaling hormone.
– Complementarity for mechanism + outcome.
5. Clinical translation
– Endotrophin as outcome biomarker in CVD, kidney, skin, lung, and fibrostenosis.
– Weight-dependent and weight-independent modulation of fibroblast activity and Endotrophin/PRO-C6 levels.
– Type VI collagen biomarkers: tissue formation vs. tissue degradation signatures and links to disease trajectories.
6. GWAS and Mendelian randomization
– Connecting Endotrophin to cardiovascular outcomes.
– Integration with serological measures.
7. From discovery to development
– Diagnostic, prognostic, and pharmacodynamic roles (“unicorn biomarkers”).
– Regulatory interactions and technical excellence on diagnostic platforms; implementation in multicenter studies.
8. Q&A
– Open discussion with Dr. Morten Karsdal and Dr. Federica Genovese
Who Should Attend
- Drug developers and translational scientists focused on fibrotic disease mechanisms.
- Clinical development teams designing trials in liver fibrosis, tumor microenvironment targeting, pulmonary fibrosis, renal fibrosis, and heart failure.
- Biomarker strategists seeking real-world examples of regulatory-qualified molecular diagnostics.
- Anyone working at the interface of ECM biology, serological biomarker development, and precision medicine.
Speakers
Dr. Morten Karsdal
- Dr. Morten Karsdal joined Nordic Bioscience in 2001 and became CEO in June 2010, leading the company to significant advancements in biomarker development and disease biology.
- Dr. Karsdal is a KOL in extracellular matrix research, with more than 700 publication and an impressive H-factor of 100.
- Dr. Karsdal is an honorary professor of inflammation research at the University of Southern Denmark, where he continues to supervise PhD students, fostering the next generation of researchers.
- Dr. Karsdal chairs the Extracellular Matrix Pharmacology Congress, an important forum for advancing drug development by focusing on the extracellular matrix (ECM) as a key factor in most chronic diseases. He is renowned for his deep expertise in fibrosis, rheumatology (including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis), diabetes, and other chronic conditions, particularly in relation to ECM and biomarker research.
- Dr. Karsdal has led the development of FDA-approved and supported molecular diagnostics, as well as more than 100 commercialized biomarker assays, including ELISA assays and high precision automated platforms.
- He has extensive experience in clinical trial design and the clinical application of biochemical markers, often serving as a consultant to major pharmaceutical companies for the use of serological biomarkers in clinical trials.
- In 2016, he and his research team authored the first edition of “Biochemistry of Collagens, Laminins and Elastin,” published by Elsevier Science. The book, now in its 3rd edition as of 2023, is a key resource on collagens and structural proteins, with a focus on their applications in chronic diseases.
Dr. Federica Genovese
- Dr. Federica Genovese is the Director of Cardiovascular and Renal (CVR) Research at Nordic Bioscience. She also heads the Translational Research group.
- She joined Nordic Bioscience in 2011 and assumed the role of Group leader of Kidney research in 2015 and then became Director of CVR in 2019.
- Dr. Genovese focuses on developing serologically assessed markers to evaluate extracellular matrix remodeling in patients with cardiovascular and renal diseases, aiding in prognostic and pharmacodynamic evaluation.
- Her team has produced the bulk of data on endotrophin, measured by the PRO-C6 assay, a fibroblast activity marker and a pro-fibrotic molecule, utilized as risk marker of adverse outcomes in multiple fibro-inflammatory diseases.
- Dr. Genovese has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, demonstrating her extensive contributions to the field.
- Her H-index is 30, her i10-index is 42, and her research has garnered over 3790 citations as of October 2025.
The webinar is organized exclusively by Nordic Bioscience.
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