Orion Genomics forms collaboration for early cancer diagnosis

Under the collaboration scientists will use Orion’s methylation technologies to identify biomarkers useful in the detection and treatment of cancers of the lung, breast and ovaries.

Methylation refers to naturally occurring chemical modifications of DNA that regulate gene function. Abnormal DNA methylation is often found on DNA from cancerous cells and is believed to impact a tumor’s sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs.

The research will use Orion’s DNA methylation technologies, including MethylScope microarrays and MethylScreen PCR assays. The groups will compare patterns of DNA methylation from normal and tumor DNA to identify specific patterns of abnormal methylation that indicate the presence of cancer and provide information about its stage and type.

Orion will develop novel diagnostics based on these patterns that detect trace amounts of methylated tumor DNA in easily accessed patient samples including blood serum, biopsies, and cell scrapes.

“DNA methylation-based diagnostics have the potential to substantially change the way physicians first diagnose and later treat cancer patients,” said Dr Professor Robert Brown, University of Glasgow.