CombiMatrix Corporation
(Nasdaq:CBMX) announced today that preliminary data on its investigational
Comprehensive Cancer Array test will be presented publicly for the first time,
at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's 16th International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference
being held on February 25-27, 2009, in San Francisco.
This test is being designed to be a non-invasive screening tool for the early
detection of multiple cancers. Early detection is key to improved survival for
patients, and the non-invasive nature of this test (a simple blood draw is needed)
makes the market potential as high as 90 million people annually in the United
States alone.
The study, titled "Detection of Cancer with Serum miRNAs on an Oligonucleotide
Microarray," will be presented as a poster by Dr. Dominic Suciu, Senior
Scientist at CombiMatrix.
"We are making progress in our development of this potentially revolutionary
test. We are presenting preliminary data now, and will continue to present additional
data in publications and at appropriate conferences," said Dr. Amit Kumar,
President and CEO of CombiMatrix.
The test is intended to measure, in peripheral blood, the existence and abundance
of miRNA molecules that are indicative of tumor growth at the earliest stages.
The presentation will occur in the Exhibit Hall in the Moscone North Convention
Center on February 25, 2009. Dr. Suciu will be available throughout the conference
to answers questions about the study. Below is the abstract of the presentation.
Abstract Title: Detection of Cancer with Serum miRNAs on an Oligonucleotide
Microarray
Authors: Dominic Suciu, Marcelo Caraballo, Michael J. Lodes, Sandra Munro,
Amit Kumar, Brooke Anderson.
Abstract: MicroRNA signatures from various tissues have been shown to be unique
and have been used to classify a subset of human diseases including cancer.
This study is focused on the evaluation of microRNA expression patterns in human
serum for five types of human cancer, prostate, colon, ovarian, breast, and
lung, using a pan-human microRNA, high density microarray. This microarray platform
enables the simultaneous analysis of all human microRNAs by either fluorescent
or electrochemical signals, and can be easily redesigned to include newly identified
microRNAs. We show that sufficient microRNAs are present in one milliliter of
serum to allow discrimination of normal donors and cancer patients without the
need for amplification techniques.