New Technology to Improve Early Detection and Prognosis of Cancer

March 24, 2011 - PRLog -- Grand Rapids, Mich.  –  Gentel Biosciences, a leader in proteomics tools, and Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), a biomedical research institute, jointly announce today the granting of U.S. Patent 7,838,634 for a new method to profile changes in the glycosylation of proteins captured on the surface of an antibody array slide.  Gentel first obtained an exclusive right to commercialize the technology in 2006.

According to Brian H. Haab, Ph.D., head of VARI’s Laboratory of Cancer Immunodiagnostics and inventor of the technology, “A number of new biomarkers using glycosylated variants of proteins have recently received or are proceeding toward FDA clearance. The ability to efficiently screen glycosylated variants of many proteins for use as biomarkers offers an unprecedented opportunity for discoveries of new glycan-based biomarkers.”

Glycosylation is the addition of linear or branched sugar molecules to proteins. Many studies have shown that glycosylated variants of proteins can make better markers for early detection and for prognosis in cancers like hepatocellular carcinoma when compared to measuring the protein alone.

“There is a lack of tools to screen proteins for changes in glycosylation that might be associated with disease. Dr. Haab’s approach is a better method to identify new diagnostic biomarkers based on glycosylated variants of proteins,” added Bryce P. Nelson, Ph.D., Vice President of Technology and Business Development at Gentel Biosciences.

A patent for the technology is also pending in the European Union.

The new glycan detection technology will soon be combined with the more than fifty SilverQuant® Antibody Array kits available from Gentel. These antibody array kits target nearly 500 proteins and provide a complete proteomics workflow from screening to quantification. SilverQuant kits are configured for use with the Gentel Proteomics Multi-System™ and Gentel's AthenaQuant® analysis software for an easy-to-use and cost-effective alternative with better sensitivity than fluorescence-based detection. SilverQuant chromogenic technology allows for the detection of any biotinylated molecule, generating array spots that are visible to the naked eye that can be detected with the Gentel Proteomics Multi-System. Simple protocols empower both experts and novices to obtain meaningful protein multiplexing data in a single day.

Glycan detection technology is currently available from Gentel as a custom assay development service. To learn more about glycan detection technology and see how it can improve your proteomics research, please visit: www.gentelbio.com/GlycanDetection.

*About Gentel Biosciences, Inc.

Gentel delivers cost-effective, easy-to-use and reliable proteomics products and services that enable researchers to perform faster discovery, validation and screening of protein biomarkers to better understand disease and develop better therapies. Gentel's headquarters is located in Madison, Wisconsin.

For More Information:

Dan Clutter, Ph.D.

Vice-President, Commercial Development

Gentel Biosciences, Inc.

Phone: 608-441-2904

Gentel®, SilverQuant®, and AthenaQuant® are registered trademark of Gentel Biosciences, Inc. Gentel Proteomics Multi-System™ is a trademark of Gentel Biosciences, Inc.

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Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute (VAI) is an independent research and educational organization based in Grand Rapids, Mich., dedicated to preserving, enhancing and expanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving excellence in education by probing fundamental issues of education and the learning process. VARI, the research arm of VAI, is dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular and molecular origins of cancer, Parkinson and other diseases and working to translate those findings into effective therapies. This is accomplished through the work of over 200 researchers in 18 on-site laboratories and in collaborative partnerships that span the globe. VARI is affiliated with the Translational Genomics Research Institute, (TGen), of Phoenix, Arizona.
www.vai.org