Cancer Blood Testing Using BC200 RNA Isolated from Peripherial Blood for Diagnosis and Treatment of Invasive Breast Cancer

Background:

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of death from malignancies in women, despite the fact that early detection via mammography and improved therapeutic intervention have resulted in a decrease of breast cancer mortality in the US. Improvements both diagnostic accuracy and predictability of treatment outcome -- including tumor progression and recurrence -- would improve clinical outcomes for patients.

Technology Overview:

Investigators at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have developed a novel diagnostic method for detecting increased risk of invasive breast cancer. It takes advantage of small RNAs (150-200 NTs) which target the helicase activity of eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) and the fact that helicase activity is necessary for unwinding higher order structure content at the UTR of the mRNA, making it available for initiation of mRNA translation. These act as translational repressors of protein synthesis and are typically only expressed in neurons, but these investigators found they were also expressed at high levels in human mammary carcinoma cells, where they deregulated normal cellular translational control. This RNA is detectable in peripheral blood of invasive breast cancer patient, and provides a way to quantify and characterize circulating tumor cells, thus monitoring a patient's responsiveness to treatment and treatment progress. Kits can be developed to facilitate the isolation and characterization of circulating tumor cells expressing these Breast Cancer small RNAs.

Intellectual Property Summary:

Patented US9777334

Licensing Status:

This technology is available for licensing.