Regensburg, Germany July 20, 2020. numares researchers have identified new urinary biomarkers with the potential to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of resistant prostate cancer. The recent findings, were published today by the European Commission's Innovation Radar after being evaluated as "innovation" addressing the needs of an existing market. The biomarker candidates will be used to start a new diagnostic and prognostic test development.
As part of the EU-funded, pan-European project "Translational Research Network for Prostate Cancer (TransPot)", numares researchers analyzed the metabolomics profile of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and identified a number of potential biomarkers that could be used to differentiate between indolent and aggressive prostate cancer. These biomarkers will be validated in a systems biology approach by integrating proteomics and transcriptomics data in collaboration with other TransPot members. As of today, the work “Identification of new Biomarkers for the New tools to improve Resistance Prostate Cancer diagnosis and monitoring“, was published by the Innovation Radar of the European Commission after being positively evaluated as “exploring innovation” and numares as “key innovator”.
numares will further refine the set of biomarkers and develop a metabolite constellation that is used as the centerpiece of a further diagnostic test following the numares’ diagnostic approach: to evaluate metabolite patterns in blood or urine by a distinctive Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology and Machine Learning (AI). The company has its main market in the U.S., where already more than 2 million tests have been performed using the numares’ technology and collaborations, e.g. with the Mayo Clinic Laboratories, have been started to develop new diagnostic tests.
Prostate cancer is the second most commonly occurring cancer in men, and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among men worldwide. First-line therapy is androgen deprivation therapy. However, after around two or three years, resistance to this treatment manifests leading to CRPC that is more metastatic and aggressive. Further treatment via chemotherapy gives only a modest survival benefit to patients. Thus, there is an urgent need for more effective novel therapies and reliable diagnostic tools for earliest intervention.
“We are very pleased that these research findings of the TransPot program have been attested considerable innovation potential,” says Prof. Hing Leung, project leader and Professor of Urology and Surgical Oncology of the Beatson Institute in Glasgow. “The collaboration with numares is truly inspiring and advances the metabolic assessment of prostate cancer with a real potential to impact clinical management.”
“We are convinced that this innovative approach contributes to a better care of CRPC patients in the future”, says Dr. Eric Schiffer, head of clinical research and TransPot Principle Investigator at numares. “Thanks to the TransPot early stage researchers that do incredible fundamental work in this translational project.”
About Innovation Radar
The Innovation Radar (IR) is a European Commission initiative to identify high potential innovations and innovators in EU-funded research and innovation projects. Making the results of the Innovation Radar open to the public will help to bridge innovators in framework program projects and external stakeholders, such as – but not limited to – citizens, investors, technology scouts and incubators.
About Transpot
TransPot is a four-year Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant funded by the European Commission that is an innovative program designed to tackle incurable prostate cancer. The network is composed of 7 academic and 3 industrial institutions from 5 countries. TransPot integrates the leading research scientists and laboratories in Europe within this research field to recruit 11 early stage researchers (ESRs) and offer them the unique opportunity to perform top-level and high impact research.
About numares
numares, based in Regensburg, Germany, is an innovative diagnostics company that applies machine learning to metabolic data to develop advanced analytical tests for high-throughput use in clinical diagnostics and life science research. The company’s AXINON® system employs nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to create a spectrum standardized by Magnetic Group SignalingTM (MGS®) to evaluate metabolite constellations. MGS® is a proprietary technology that enables NMR for highly standardized and rapid throughput testing. Metabolic tests are an important pillar in precision medicine to address unmet needs in cardiovascular diseases, nephrology, oncology and neurology. More information: www.numares.com.
For further information please contact:
numares
Christiane Proll
Tel.: +49 941 280 949-14
E-Mail: christiane.proll@numares.com