Signature of Protein Biomarkers Detects Early Lung Cancer

A large-scale study identified a signature of biomarkers that detected lung cancer in its early, treatable stages.

Until now, proteomic technologies have lacked the sensitivity, scale, and robustness to untangle the vast differences in protein types and concentration levels that underlie complex human biology and disease.

A new proteomic technology introduced by SomaLogic (Boulder, CO, USA) is built on corral aptamers--short stretches of nucleic acids that form protein-binding three-dimensional structures--and perform specific recognition and binding of proteins.

Through a series of chemical modifications of the nucleic acids that make up the aptamer, SomaLogic scientists developed a next generation of aptamers, which were renamed SOMAmers to reflect their increased abilities. These SOMAmers can bind proteins of widely diverse types and concentrations.

Because SOMAmers are essentially small bits of DNA, current DNA measurement technologies such as microarrays can be used to measure them and provide readout of protein or biomarker types and concentrations in a fast and simple analysis.

The powerful combination of individual proteins and DNA-based quantification enables accurate detection and measurement of literally a thousand proteins in as little as a few drops of blood.

When the technology was applied to samples from patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), known markers of the disease were found as well as many previously unknown protein biomarkers.

By applying SOMAmer technology to over 1300 clinical samples, scientists rapidly identified a panel or signature of 12 proteins that together accurately revealed the presence of lung cancer in at-risk patients. This finding is the basis for a new diagnostic test under development for clinical application in the next year.

"By being able to detect lung cancer early, we finally have a tool to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this deadly disease with successful surgical intervention," said William Rom, Professor of medicine and environmental medicine at the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine (New York, NY, USA; http://school.med.nyu.edu) and a collaborator on the lung cancer study. "In addition, we can avoid unnecessary treatments in patients who have a lung nodule on CT scan, but which is actually not cancer as revealed by this test."

The study is described in two articles in the December 2, 2010, edition of the open access journal PLoS One.

Related Links:
SomaLogic
NYU School of Medicine