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September 15th, 2005
A team of scientists from John Hopkins are to participate in
a project to develop a test to determine a person’s risk of developing colon cancer. The team, along with undisclosed
other scientists are to receive a $2.25 million, five-year grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for work on the
project.
The impetus for the test is a gene called insulin-like growth factor
2 (IGF-2). Studies have shown that there is a link to that gene and the development of colon cancer. One of the leaders
of the project, Andrew Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D., at Johns Hopkins explained further, "If everything works out -- if IGF-2 status
is tied to colon cancer risk in people and the blood test is workable -- then IGF-2 status could be the colon cancer equivalent
of cholesterol levels as a risk factor for heart disease. We've never had a broad molecular screening tool like that for any
cancer."
August 24th, 2005
Biomedical Test Uses Urine Based Battery
In the August 15th, 2005 issue of Journal of Micromechanics and
Microengineering, Ki Bang Lee of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore divulged an inexpensive fabrication
process for the construction of paper batteries that use urine as an active ingredient. The battery, which is compatible with
plastic molding production techniques, is based on a magnesium layer and copper chloride doped paper. The battery is reported
to have a power capacity of greater than 1.5 milliwatt and has the potential to be integrated into bioMEMS devices used for
home diagnostic and medical test applications.
August 9th, 2005
Aureon Laboratories, formerly Aureon Biosciences, has
secured $20 million in a Series B round. The company, which has developed a predictive test to determine the probability of
the recurrence of prostrate cancer (after the removal of the prostrate), plans to now go forward with finalizing its clinical
validation work and then commercialize its Prostate Px test product. The basis for the company’s technology is tissue
analysis through the combined use of clinical, micro-anatomic and molecular profiles of a disease.
Financiers named in the Series B round included Atlas
Venture, Sprout Group, and Pfizer.
JULY 19th, 2005
Xenomics, Inc. (OTCBB:XNOM),developer of the Transrenal-DNA
test technology, a non-invasive technology used as the basis for a wide range of medical and genetic diagnostic tests, reported
that it had closed a private placement valued at $2.77 million.
Dr. Randy White, CEO of Xenomics indicated that the financing will
help improve medical diagnostic tests, "This financing will reinforce and sustain Xenomics' innovative program to develop
and deliver improved medical diagnostic tests based on our proprietary Transrenal-DNA technology. We believe that our proprietary
Transrenal-DNA diagnostic platform technology will provide a new, higher level of healthcare industry standards for the improved
detection of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, Down syndrome and many other conditions."
Xenomics tests are based on DNA obtained from urine as opposed to
DNA obtained from blood. Urine is, in general, considered a safer test specimen than blood. Reasons include that it does not
involve needles and that it is less likely to transmit diseases. Blood has been one of the traditional sources used to obtain
DNA samples. The use of urine is a relatively new development.
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