Orion and Washington University collaborate over cancer tests

In the collaborations, scientists at Orion and Washington University will focus on the most common cancers including lung, breast, cervical, prostate and ovarian cancer and will look for “Second Code” biomarkers that indicate the presence of cancer and how it will respond to certain therapies.

Second Code biomarkers, or DNA methylation patterns, provide information on the regulation of genes. The research will enable Orion to develop tests that detect trace amounts of methylated tumor DNA in easy to access tissues such as blood serum, biopsies, and cell scraps. The company expects to market the tests within three years.

“Two of the greatest opportunities in oncology today are to develop diagnostics that detect cancer earlier and to guide oncologists in the selection of effective therapies,” said Dr McLeod, who heads the pharmacogenomics lab at Washington University. “We are looking for specific molecular biomarkers that explain why patients with cancer respond differently to the same course of treatment. We are optimistic that tests based on these biomarkers will greatly impact clinical practice by enabling doctors to more accurately match therapies to patients.”