Clinomics in research collaboration with cancer centre

Clinomics Biosciences, Cytomyx Holdings' wholly-owned US subsidiary, has signed a collaboration agreement with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Centre and Research Institute, one of the leading cancer research centres in the US, to jointly develop new technologies for use in cancer research.

Known as Tissue MicroArrays, Clinomics' proprietary technology allows the identification of gene and protein expression patterns in tumours on a high-throughput basis. This data will be used to generate 'molecular signatures' for more precisely defining cancer patient sub-groups, which in turn will lead to improved cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The initial phase of the research program will focus on the use of Tissue MicroArray methodologies to improve the diagnosis and classification of primary tumours, with the goal of improving treatment outcomes. The joint research will be conducted in the laboratories of the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

Stephen Turner, Clinomics' ceo, said: 'We are pleased to be collaborating with Moffitt, a leading, national cancer institute with a substantial molecular characterisation program involved in cancer.

Together with Clinomics, which has built the world's most extensive database of highly characterised human biology samples, we believe that an important new capability for classifying tumours will result from our collaboration with the goal of creating whole genome datasets on tumour samples and developing the leading gene expression database for pharmaceutical development.'

Principle Investigator for the project Dr Timothy Yeatman, associate center director, Clinical Investigations, at the Moffitt Cancer Center commented: 'This is the beginning of an exciting new age in molecular medicine where cancer therapy will now be directed by a comprehensive molecular analysis of gene expression. Molecular signatures may be able to identify and predict the future biological behaviour of different tissues or tumour types.'