ALAMEDA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fluxion Biosciences, a leading developer of precision solutions for life science research and diagnostics, today announced that it has received a National Cancer Institute grant for further development of its ERASE-Seq liquid biopsy technology. The Phase I grant will have a duration of 9 months, with clinical support from the lab of Dr. Omar Mian at the Cleveland Clinic.
Liquid biopsies offer the potential to improve treatment of cancer by providing affordable, non-invasive detection of actionable cancer mutations from a blood sample. However, the relative abundance of cancer DNA in blood is extremely low, and below the detection threshold for most assays. Analytical and clinical results have demonstrated that ERASE-Seq provides superior results compared to competitive approaches for sequencing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from blood.
The NCI project includes three main aims: 1) improvements to and validation of the ERASE-Seq bio-informatic algorithms to improve detection sensitivity and specificity, 2) automation of the ERASE-Seq data analysis pipeline, and 3) measuring sensitivity and accuracy of ERASE-Seq to competitive sequencing approaches and to an established "gold standard" technique using cancer patient blood samples.
"We are honored to receive this NCI grant and excited to develop the capabilities of our ERASE-Seq liquid biopsy", stated Jeff Jensen, CEO. "Liquid biopsies offer tremendous promise, but advances are needed to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of these tests. ERASE-Seq offers the potential to deliver on the promise of cancer precision medicine: the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. We look forward to collaborating with Cleveland Clinic on this important program."
Dr. Mian, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Cleveland Clinic, stated, "This collaboration demonstrates the innovation expected of a Small Business Innovative Research grant. It will provide the basis for the first ctDNA diagnostic for hepatocellular carcinoma, effectively changing the way the disease is diagnosed in the clinic. Additionally, if successful this will introduce researchers in other areas of oncology to a powerful method for ctDNA variant analysis."
About Fluxion Biosciences
Fluxion's liquid biopsy solutions are revolutionizing how cancer is detected and treated. Fluxion's pioneering liquid biopsy technologies include the IsoFlux CTC Liquid Biopsy System, ERASE-Seq ultra-sensitive variant caller, and the Spotlight 59 NGS Oncology Panel for cancer mutation detection from cell-free circulating tumor DNA. Fluxion's technologies are used globally by leading cancer centers developing new tests for early cancer detection and patient monitoring. For more information about Fluxion's liquid biopsy capabilities, visit liquidbiopsy.fluxionbio.com.
SOURCE Fluxion Biosciences
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