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Health & Fitness
WELLNESS
F AT r .
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inter W e
Ovarian Cancer
Research to advance blood test
for disease detection.
A
rrayit Diagnostics Inc., a
majority-owned subsidiary of
Arrayit Corp., has signed an
exclusive license agreement and execut-
ed a sponsored research agreement with
Wayne State University in Detroit.
The pact encompasses continuing
research and development of a microar-
ray-based diagnostic test for the early
detection of ovarian cancer based
upon research conducted by members
of WSU's School of Medicine and the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
This newly sponsored research project
will be jointly conducted at laborato-
ries at the WSU School of Medicine in
Detroit and Arrayit Corp. in Sunnyvale,
Calif., and will provide for a much larger
test population than previously studied
in prior related research.
Michael Tainsky, Ph.D., professor
of pathology at the WSU School of
Medicine and director of molecular biol-
ogy and genetics at Karmanos Cancer
Institute in Detroit, is principal investi-
gator for the six-month project, work-
ing in collaboration with Mark Schena,
Ph.D., president and chief science officer
of Arrayit.
"For more than six years, Wayne State
University has used Arrayit's microarray
manufacturing technology to help iden-
tify key biomarkers using a novel process
that has allowed us to isolate biomarkers
unique to ovarian cancer," Tainsky said.
"As a result, we are now in late-stage
development of a simple blood test for
the early detection of ovarian cancer that
holds tremendous potential to materially
— and perhaps profoundly — impact
the survivability and quality of life of
ovarian cancer victims!"
The agreement with Wayne State
grants Arrayit exclusive worldwide
rights to develop and commercialize a
novel diagnostic test using biomark-
ers developed by Tainsky; Judith
Abrams, Ph.D., professor of internal
medicine for the School of Medicine
and Karmanos; Sorin Draghici, Ph.D.,
associate professor of computer science
in the WSU College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences; and Madhumita Chatterjee,
Ph.D., senior research scientist in the
School of Medicine.
The test aims to effectively screen for
early-stage ovarian cancer in women
who are not yet symptomatic.
The National Cancer Institute esti-
mates that 21,550 women will be diag-
nosed with and 14,600 women will die
of ovarian cancer in 2009, making it the
fourth leading cause of death in women
in the United States.
The disease presents with largely
nonspecific symptoms during the initial
stages of cancer progression, however
there is no adequate screening or diag-
nostic test for early-stage detection. As
a result, most ovarian cancers are diag-
nosed only when later-stage symptoms
manifest and the disease has metasta-
sized to other parts of the body.
The five-year survival rate for late-
stage diagnosis is less than 20 percent,
compared to an approximate 90 percent
survival rate if the disease is identified
at the earliest stages. ❑
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Davidson Tribute
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