DNA-Programmed Chemistry to Analyze Cancer Tissues for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors

A test using DNA-programmed chemistry (DPC) will be used to analyze combinations of members of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family that are present in cancer tissues.

The aim of the test is to select cancer patients who are most likely to respond to a particular therapy targeted against a member of the EGFR family. The particular combinations of EGFR dimers present in the cancer are believed to be a significant factor in determining the efficacy of drugs targeting the EGFR family.

Ensemble Discovery Corp. (Cambridge, MA, USA) announced that it is collaborating with Roche (Basel, Switzerland) to apply Ensemble's proprietary diagnostic technology to the optimization of selection of cancer therapy. The Ensemble test will correlate the EGFR family dimer pattern with efficacy of particular anti-cancer drugs in order to improve therapy selection based on an individual's molecular constitution.

The EGFR family includes some of the most widely targeted molecules in modern cancer medicine. There are six drugs against this family on the market and several more in clinical trials. In each case, the drugs show activity in a subset of the patients in which they are indicated, but in those cases of partial efficacy mechanisms are not well understood. Ensemble's test will be initially used to monitor breast cancer patients and may be used in the future for other solid tumors such as colon and lung cancer.

David J. Livingston, Ph.D., senior vice president, and head of the biodetection program at Ensemble Discovery said, "The opportunity to collaborate with a global leader [Roche] in both pharmaceuticals and diagnostics as well as pioneering anti-EGFR therapies, offers a unique opportunity to apply the collective expertise and experience for the development of our tests in cancer diagnosis.”

Ensemble is developing a range of diagnostic services and kits, based on DPC, to analyze EGFR family dimers and other cancer markers for use in cancer diagnosis and drug selection. The company will partner with leading pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to deliver its diagnostic products and position them relative to ongoing drug development. In its diagnostic programs, Ensemble uses DPC to control the generation of detection signals in response to the presence of specific molecular events underlying human diseases. DPC-based assays are particularly adept at the detection of dimeric molecules such as growth factor receptors on cell surfaces.


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Ensemble Discovery
Roche