BERLIN, SEATTLE, and ROCHESTER, Minn., USA, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ --
Epigenomics AG, a transatlantic biotech company personalizing medicine, and
Mayo Clinic today announced the signing of a two-year collaboration to
identify and validate a panel of DNA methylation-based markers that would be
applied in a test to improve the early detection of colorectal cancer. DNA
Methylation is a natural "switch" that controls gene expression, giving rise
to distinct patterns in cells, including those found in cancer and other
diseases. Based on these methylation patterns, cancer may be detected and
classified from tissue and bodily fluids, such as blood serum or urine
samples.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mayo Clinic will provide Epigenomics
with samples of clinical material (solid and fluid) from well-characterized
patient populations. Researchers from Mayo Clinic will work closely with
Epigenomics to define clinical subgroups and research strategy. "Colon cancer
is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment as patients often do not
present symptoms until the disease is advanced," notes Mayo Clinic
gastroenterologist David Ahlquist, M.D. "Colonoscopy screening is effective,
but it is not used as broadly as it could be. A simple, accurate and non-
invasive test that involves less patient discomfort could help detect more
cancers at an earlier stage."
Colon cancer is the second most common cancer, killing almost 100,000 in
the EU and 60,000 in the US every year. If detected early enough, colon
cancer can be treated successfully.
Epigenomics will initially utilize samples provided by the Mayo Clinic to
confirm candidate methylation markers that have previously been identified
using its proprietary marker discovery process. Methylation markers that
consistently detect all stages of colorectal cancer will be determined by
comparing DNA-methylation patterns of healthy versus diseased tissue using
Epigenomics' high-throughput array analysis technology. Resulting markers
will lead to a pre-validated marker panel that will be tested in body fluids
and could eventually be developed into an early screening test.
"It is a great honor for Epigenomics to work with one of the premier
research clinics in the world and with one of the most prominent
gastroenterologists," says Alexander Olek, CEO of Epigenomics. "Mayo Clinic's
extensive patient cohorts and medical expertise combined with our DNA-
methylation based technology has the potential to lead to a revolutionizing
colon cancer early screening test and eventually save many lives."
Epigenomics is a transatlantic biotechnology company pioneering tomorrow's
personalized medicines. By detecting DNA methylation patterns, the "on" and
"off" signs for genes, Epigenomics can create a digitized readout (Digital
Phenotype(R)) for each tissue. The comparison of healthy and sick tissue
enables an exact diagnosis of disease at a very early stage and reveals new
therapeutic opportunities. The combination of diagnosis and therapy, based on
this epigenetic information and our robust proprietary technology, is leading
the way to improving patients' quality of life. Epigenomics is the world's
first and only company focusing exclusively on DNA methylation and its
importance in the post-genomic age, and is supported by the world's premier
network of academic researchers and clinicians with expertise in the field of
cancer and DNA methylation. The company has its headquarters in Berlin,
Germany, with a wholly owned subsidiary in Seattle, Washington, USA. For
further information, please visit our website at http://www.epigenomics.com.
SOURCE Epigenomics AG
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.epigenomics.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/683127.html
CONTACT:
Gary Schweikhardt, +1-206-883-2900, or
Florence Danek, +49-0-30-24345-305, both of Epigenomics; Lee
Aase, +1-507-266-2442, of Mayo Clinic; Mike Sinclair,
+44-0-20-7534-1521, of Burns McClellan
|
