GeneFluidics Awarded $142,000 Subcontract for the Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

The University of California, Los Angeles has awarded GeneFluidics a two-year, $142,000 subcontract to investigate the applicability of the Companys molecular analysis platform for the early detection of ovarian cancer.

(PRWEB) March 20, 2004 --The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has awarded GeneFluidics a two-year, $142,000 subcontract to investigate the applicability of the Companys molecular analysis platform for the early detection of ovarian cancer. Said research is part of a larger grant to the University from the Early Detection Research Network of the National Cancer Institute to identify and validate a low-sample volume, user-friendly, multi-assay molecular analysis platform for early-stage cancer discovery.

Ovarian cancer affects over 25,000 women in the United States every year, killing 16,000. This high mortality rate is partially due to the diseases typically late diagnosis. While various molecular techniques have been investigated for ovarian cancers early detection, no technique has yet clinically demonstrated the avoidance of large sample volumes and exhaustive sample preparation. GeneFluidics platform requires only microliter volumes of raw samples, while the Companys microfluidic cartridges completely automate sample preparation for plug and play" use.

GeneFluidics technologies show great promise in early-stage cancer detection," stated Dr. David Chia of UCLAs Immunogenetics Center. Demonstrating the clinical significance of a cancer screen requires the analysis of thousands of samples, both from early stage cancer and non-cancer patients. Collecting and analyzing these samples is very expensive and labor intensive -- the GeneFluidics platform could provide a practical solution."

Dr. Vincent Gau, GeneFluidics CEO and CTO agrees. Dr. Chia surveyed the available technologies for the clinical validation of ovarian cancer screening, but saw GeneFluidics platform as that holding the most promise. We look forward to demonstrating our platforms capability in ovarian cancer screening."

About GeneFluidics
GeneFluidics is commercializing a novel molecular analysis platform that integrates bionanotechnology and microfluidics. The platforms components, which include a reader and disposable sensors and cartridges to automate the sample preparation, rapidly detect and quantify the presence of target genetic material, proteins, and small molecules in raw samples without the use of target amplification methods such as PCR. Based in high-throughput plastic injection molding and other low-cost manufacturing methods, the GeneFluidics platform will dramatically reduce the cost of molecular analysis.