Expression Pathology Obtains SBIR grant
to Identify Protein Biomarkers of Breast Cancer Metastasis
May
15, 2008: Expression
Pathology Inc. has been awarded a $148,000 Phase I Small Business
Innovation
Research
(SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to employ
its proprietary tissue microproteomics technologies to identify
protein biomarkers of metastasis in primary breast cancer.
.
EPI’s Liquid
Tissue® sample preparation and Director™ laser microdissection
will enable in-depth mass spectrometry based proteomic profiling
of archived formalin-fixed tissue with detailed patient histories.
Over
200,000 cases of early-stage breast cancer present for treatment
decisions each year in the US. Although gene-expression tests
have been developed to help guide those decisions, a protein-based
approach has the potential to be more widely available and
more informative. Proteins make up the molecular pathways which
control cell functions and are the actual targets of most drugs.
“This
project is a natural evolution of our business to use our proprietary
tissue proteomics research tools to understand at the protein
level the progression of metastasis in early-stage breast cancer,” said
David Krizman, Ph.D., EPI’s Chief Scientific Officer. “Our
aim is to develop valuable tissue protein assays that can aid
patient treatment decisions, and to identify new therapeutic
targets and companion diagnostics to those targets. We greatly
appreciate the NCI’s SBIR program in its support of innovative
initiatives by early-stage companies like EPI.”
About
Expression Pathology Inc.
EPI is developing proprietary cancer tests and research tools to study and
measure proteins in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, the format
of patient tissue routinely collected and stored in medical treatment and research
facilities. FFPE tissue constitutes a huge, untapped resource for discovery,
validation and measurement of valuable biomarkers of disease progression, drug
response and toxicity.
EPI’s
Liquid Tissue® sample preparation and Director™ laser
microdissection technologies enable mass spectrometry-based
analysis and measurement of proteins in FFPE tissue. EPI offers
these as research products, contract services and collaborative
research programs. For more information, see www.expressionpathology.com.
For
more information, contact:
Expression
Pathology Inc.
Peter Tunon, Vice President Sales and Marketing
9290 Gaither Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Phone: (301) 977-3654
E-mail: p.tunon@expressionpathology.com
American Association
of Cancer Research, San Diego, April 12-16.
(link)
Booth 2428. See three posters using our technology;
discovery of endometrial cancer markers (abstract), metastasis marker in melanoma (abstract
), protein biomarkers relating to metastasis
and disease progression in lung cancer (abstract).
US and Canadian Association
of Pathology, Denver, Mar. 1-7: Application
of a Global Proteomic Approach to Archival Precursor
Lesions: Upregulation of DMBT-1 and TG2 in Pancreatic
Cancer Precursors (link)
Soc.
of Surgical Oncology, Chicago, Mar. 13-16: Identification
of Prognostic Biomarkers in Patients with Resectable
Pancreas Cancer Using Formalin-fixed Tissue, Marcus
Tan, MD, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, MO (link)
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Expression
Pathology Inc. (EPI) is a leader in tissue
microproteomics. Our technologies make possible mass spec
protein analysis of formalin-fixed tissue,
enabling discovery, validation and routine
measurement of protein biomarkers related to clinical outcomes.
Our near-term mission is
to offer breakthrough research tools and
collaborations to improve drug and diagnostic development
and for basic research. Our proprietary
technologies also provide the foundation
for a whole new platform of tissue diagnostic tests currently
under development.
The Liquid
Tissue® MS protocol prepares FFPE samples
for mass spec analysis. Complete solubilization captures
the entire protein content. Mass spec friendly. Requires
only 30,000 cells for multiple
mass spectrometry analyses.
The Director™ Laser
Microdissection Slides provide the fastest, easiest
and most accurate way to collect specific
cellular features from tissue sections. Engineered
for use with existing Leica LMD and PALM Zeiss laser
microdissection system.
