Genalyte Gets Grant From NCI To Develop Biomarker Panel For Cancer

Oct 18 2013

Genalyte received a $1 million SBIR grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a biomarker panel to profile tumor antigen-associated (TAA) autoantibodies. The company is planning to collaborate with researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Providence Cancer Center, and Wayne State University to select and validate the biomarkers to be included in the panel. The panel will run on Genalyte's multiplexed Maverick™ Detection System.

The aim of this project is to develop a test that allows researchers to profile and monitor cancer-associated immune responses with a blood test. According to Genalyte, TAA autoantibodies have demonstrated the potential to detect cancer early.

"The technology developed at Genalyte holds great potential as a novel tool to monitor immune responses to cancer antigens," Martin "Mac" Cheever, M.D., director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and advisor to the project, said in a statement. "This effort to characterize antigens as functional targets in patients could help accelerate progress in cancer immunotherapy."

Genalyte received a $500,000 SBIR grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) back in December of 2012 to develop multiplexed diagnostic assays for the early detection and monitoring of type 1 diabetes, also to run on the Maverick Detection System. This eventually led to the launch of a type 1 diabetes antigen panel in August, which the firm said was the first multiplexed assay that measures seven autoantibodies associated with the destruction of pancreatic islet cells seen in the disease.

This article was reprinted from Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) with permission from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) has retained its position as the number one biotech publisher around the globe since its launch in 1981. GEN publishes a print edition 21 times a year and has additional exclusive editorial content online, like news and analysis as well as blogs, podcasts, webinars, polls, videos, and application notes. GEN's unique news and technology focus includes the entire bioproduct life cycle from early-stage R&D, to applied research including omics, biomarkers, as well as diagnostics, to bioprocessing and commercialization.