Alliance for Biomarker Validation Technologies

An agreement to co-develop new tools to profile gene expression and biomarker validation in a range of human cancers has been announced by OriGene Technologies, Inc. (Rockville, MD, USA) and Cytomyx Holdings, PLC (Cambridge, UK).

Cytomyx will provide hundreds of highly characterized RNA samples from a wide range of major cancers from its extensive biorespository. OriGene will use these samples to develop new generations of its existing Rapid-Scan gene expression panel product line. The new Rapid-Scan panels will enable researchers to profile gene expression levels in these patient-derived samples to determine linkages between gene expression and tumor occurrence and development. Cytomyx also intends to develop complementary tissue microarrays, which can be used to investigate these linkages at the protein expression level, using immunohistochemistry.

"Having a tool that demonstrates correlation of mRNA levels to detailed disease stages is critical for biomarker validation,” said Rich Hamer, Ph.D., vice president, business development at OriGene. "OriGene's Rapid-Scan platform combined with the depth of Cytomyx' biorepository greatly enhances the target screening and biomarker validation toolset needed by today's researchers.”

Origene's True Clone collection is a searchable source of over 24,000 human full-length cDNA clones suitable for transfection and protein expression. Cytomyx has two main areas of expertise: the use of human samples in finding the link between gene expression and disease, and the development of cell-based assays to support ion channel drug discovery.





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