Urine Telomerase Is a Potential Bladder Cancer Biomarker

Telomerase is present in about 95% of all epithelial cancers and therefore has great potential as a cancer biomarker.

Utilizing telomerase biosensor technology (TBT), a non-invasive assay for bladder cancer is being developed. The assay could replace or supplement currently used invasive cytoscopy procedures. In the United States alone, approximately US$700 million are spent annually on cystoscopic procedures to monitor and diagnose the occurrence or recurrence of bladder cancer.

Telomerase is an enzyme, active in most cancer cells, that maintains telomere length at the ends of chromosomes. This activity confers replicative immortality to the cells in the tumor, allowing a cancer to grow and metastasize over long periods. Because telomerase is inactive or only transiently expressed in normal human tissues, and is critical to the growth and progression of most cancer types, it is regarded as a universal and specific cancer target. To date, no other established biomarker--e.g., prostate specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer or cancer antigen- (CA)-125 for ovarian cancer--has been shown to be expressed across such a wide range of cancer types, making telomerase one of the only accepted pan-cancer biomarkers.

Sienna Cancer Diagnostics (Melbourne, Australia) is developing a non-invasive assay for bladder cancer diagnosis based on telomerase activity. Geron Corp. (Menlo Park, CA, USA) and Sienna Cancer Diagnostics have signed a license agreement allowing Sienna access to critical granted patents and expertise related to the detection or measurement of telomerase activity. Under the terms of the license, Sienna gains worldwide exclusive rights within a defined field to Geron-controlled intellectual property to detect telomerase activity for the cancer in vitro diagnostics market. In consideration for the license, Geron received a significant equity interest in Sienna and is entitled to receive royalties on future product sales.

Sienna's mission is to ensure the delivery of highly sensitive, novel, robust, and high-value test(s) for early detection of cancer, assessment of cancer treatments and assistance in drug development. Sienna's association with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (New York, NY, USA) has been strategic in allowing access and development of novel diagnostic technologies.

Geron develops biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and chronic degenerative diseases, including spinal cord injury, heart failure, and diabetes. The company is developing an anti-cancer drug and a cancer vaccine that target the enzyme telomerase through multiple clinical trials. Additionally, Geron is developing human embryonic stem cell-based therapeutics, with its spinal cord injury treatment anticipated to be the first product to enter clinical development.


Related Links:
Sienna Cancer Diagnostics
Geron Corporation
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research