CMM and Qiagen Focus on Molecular Diagnostic Markers

The Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM; Grand Rapids, MI, USA) and Qiagen NV (Frankfurt, Germany) have agreed to collaborate on the discovery of molecular biomarkers that will help diagnose breast cancer and other women's diseases. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

CMM has access to clinical samples, molecular analysis capabilities, and XenoBase-- software and a database system developed at the Van Andel Research Institute (Grand Rapids, MI, USA). This bio-informatic system is capable of analyzing a wide range of molecular and conventional clinical data to help scientists identify clinical associations between diseases, biomarkers, and treatments. Following Qiagen's initial results, CMM might also provide laboratory-based genomics and proteomics services to assist Qiagen in the development and validation of new molecular diagnostic tests.

CMM is a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified, College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited, clinical diagnostics laboratory. CMM's capabilities, including XenoBase access, on-site microarray-based DNA typing, and gene expression played a role in bringing Qiagen to West Michigan.

Qiagen is a provider of sample and assay technologies and products that are considered standards in areas such pre-analytic sample preparation and assay solutions in molecular diagnostics, life sciences, and applied testing. Qiagen has developed a comprehensive range of more than 500 consumable products and automated systems for sample collection, nucleic acid and protein handling, separation, and purification, and open and target specific assays.


Related Links:
Center for Molecular Medicine
Qiagen
Van Andel Research Institute