GST polymorphic allele assay

Cancer is the second largest cause of death in developed countries, accounting for nearly one in five of all deaths. Polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes have been correlated with altered risk of several cancers, as well as altered response and toxicity from cancer chemotherapy. GST�s are a family of detoxifying enzymes which inactivate both environmental pollutants and many medications, such as chemotherapeutic agents. Dr. Keller and colleagues have developed a low cost, highly reproducible and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based high-throughput assay for genotyping all four different GST's. This assay allows the clinician to quickly determine tailored therapeutic regimens for patients predicted to have increased therapy-related toxicity. This also allows for detection of individuals at risk for diseases based on the presence of specific alleles.

Benefits
According to the WHO, in 2003, about 25 million people live with cancer and nearly 11 million new cases are diagnosed each year. The field of cancer assays has evolved tremendously over the years. The world-wide cancer biomarker diagnostics market is US$350 million and growing at a rate of 7% per year.

Stage of Development
PCT application WO 2004/036179 has been filed.
This technology is part of an active and ongoing research program and has been demonstrated to work in clinical trials which include a working prototype. It is available for developmental research support and licensing under either exclusive or non-exclusive terms.

Additional Info
Barnette P et al. (2004) High-throughput detection of glutathione s-transferase polymorphic alleles in a pediatric cancer population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:304-13

Inventor(s): Francis Ali-Osman, Charles Keller, Richard Lemons, Linda Ballard

Type of Offer: Licensing



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