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The Use of Biomolecules in Diagnostic Testing

Future Antigen-Antibody Testing is Progressive in Cancer Diagnosis

Aug 7, 2009 Sandra Gardner

Being diagnosed with cancer is difficult enough. Suppose in the near future a more specific diagnostic test can be administered early to detect cancer in time for a cure

The dreaded diagnosis of cancer can invoke many emotions from anger to hopelessness. However, most cancers have a high cure rate if found early. The problem is that most are not caught early enough. That may change in the near future. Technology in medicine progresses so rapidly, that a better diagnostic tool may be around the corner.

Monoclonal Antibodies

MabCure, a biotechnology company based in New York, has been studying the use of a biomolecule called a monoclonal antibody, to be used in diagnosing certain cancers. A biomolecule is a substance that naturally occurs in living organisms. It is made up of organic material such as oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. Monoclonal antibodies can be thought of as proteins called antibodies that seek out specific antigens to bind to and to keep from doing harm. This means that certain antibodies can seek out specific tumor antigens.

How Monoclonal Antibodies Are Being Used

Some of the most prominent studies being done at MabCure are with melanoma, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. Specific antibody biomolecules are being tested to seek out specific tumor antigens.

Melanoma

For instance, a melanoma antibody will recognize and bind only to a melanoma cancer cell. It will not recognize other cells, not even tissues from which melanomas originate. These antibodies also appear to be "universal" meaning that they would detect melanoma cells in any melanoma patient without bias. Studies also suggest that there is a relationship between melanoma of the skin and melanoma of the eye. These antigens can detect both.

Ovarian Cancer

The case of ovarian cancer was a little more complex.. The question that needed answering was "are ovarian cancer antigens circulating in the blood"? Biopsy of the ovary is difficult so the blood would need to be tested for the antigens. The study showed that clinical disease can be demonstrated in the circulation. For ovarian cancer, diagnosis in stage I or II has about a 95% cure rate. If detected in stage III about a 20% cure rate. So it would be important to detect the antigens in the circulation in their early stages.

"It's not only that we are able to detect the disease in the blood of the patient, but we are able to detect very minute levels," says Dr. Gonenne, CEO of MabCure and study leader.

Prostate Cancer

A high PSA does not necessarily mean cancer, but it seems to be the standard in diagnosis. It also has false positives attached to it. A more targeted test is necessary to detect prostate cancer antigens. A few antibodies were also found by MabCure to be selective to prostate cancer and will also be tested.

The Future Of Antibody Testing

The focus is more on early diagnosis, catching the disease in the early stage, not on treatment. The hope is to make a standardized diagnostic test initially for those who are at high risk and then to those that are not at so high a risk. Studies are still continuing, so this is a future goal for MabCure. There will also be future studies to show a correlation between diagnosis and outcome. If this is positive, then a repeat antibody-antigen test will be administered to reveal how the treatment worked.

Dr. Gonenne says that the ultimate treatment is to identify antigens specific to tumors and create a new generation of chemotherapy drugs specific to the disease. He says he believes the technology will be available in under two years in Europe.

Source

Interviw with Dr. Gonenne, CEO of MabCure

The copyright of the article The Use of Biomolecules in Diagnostic Testing in General Medicine is owned by Sandra Gardner. Permission to republish The Use of Biomolecules in Diagnostic Testing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.