Technology - Profiling Chemically Modified DNA/RNA Units for Disease and Cancer Diagnosis

Profiling Chemically Modified DNA/RNA Units for Disease and Cancer Diagnosis

Diagnose a wide variety of conditions by analyzing DNA and RNA nucleotides/nucleosides.

Background:

In theory, RNA and DNA can be used to diagnose a broad range of diseases. Unfortunately, there are no existing technologies capable of providing comprehensive profiles of variant DNA/RNA components. Established approaches for the analysis/detection of nucleic acids are blind to the vast majority of chemical modifications. Mass spectrometry and immunoassays have never been employed to observe panels of both DNA and RNA modifications simultaneously, for the purpose of correlating their profiles (identity and mutual relative abundances) to specific cell states.

Technology Overview:

This technology employs profiling of DNA and RNA nucleotides/nucleosides to diagnose any condition involving variant, chemically modified nucleic acids. These include cancer; bacterial and viral infections; genetic and metabolic disorders; degenerative diseases; drug abuse, and others. The technology involves
(1)   extracting total nucleic acids content from target cells/tissues, bodily fluids, or other source of biological material;
(2)   separating DNA from RNA;
(3)   digesting either fraction into mono-nucleotide/nucleoside components;
(4)   analysis; and
(5)   identification of modified variant components and quantification of their expression levels.
The diagnosis is then completed by comparing the global modification profiles, which were obtained from healthy or diseased cells/tissues.

Advantages:

•   Enables users to link panels of chemical DNA/RNA modifications to specific cellular malfunctions.
•   Offers greater diagnostic accuracy by linking mutual fluctuations of expression levels to the state of interest, rather than just the appearance/disappearance of individual markers.
•   Consumes very little of the biological sample. A small fraction of biopsy is required for successful diagnosis, preserving the bulk of the sample for pathology examination and any other type of analysis.
•   Could be potentially included in non-invasive procedures through the use of blood, urine, saliva, tears, amniotic fluid, and any possible biological sample containing nucleic acids.

Applications:

•   Diagnose medical conditions. This includes: simultaneously recognize different possible risk factors, or identify the stage (benign, benign nodule, early vs. late stage) of a certain cancer; to identify the etiologic agent of an infection; to differentiate uncharacterized autoimmune diseases; all in the same test.
•   Differentiate cell types for other purposes, including but not limited to taxonomy applications, fetal development identification, age determination, gender identification, drug abuse testing, food quality control, airborne illness exposure testing, food allergy testing, genetic predisposition screening, lineage investigation, paleontology, or forensic applications.
•   As a research tool, study the effects of environmental exposure on genetic and epigenetic controls; the metabolic effects of drug candidates; and/or the distribution of DNA/RNA modifications in the various cellular compartments.