AroCell enters a collaboration with the Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging of the National Research Council (IBB-CNR) of Italy
Today AroCell announces a collaboration with the University Hospital of Pisa to evaluate the AroCell TK 210 ELISA for Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) as a prognostic biomarker in subjects with liver cancer. The aim of the study is to determine the prognostic value of TK1 in combination with imaging techniques to improve prognoses and monitoring in subjects with liver cancer.
In the study TK1 protein levels will be assayed in serum samples collected from subjects with liver cancer, Hepatocarcinoma, prior to and during therapy and compared with the extent and speed of disease progression based on digital imaging. Hepatocarcinoma is the 5th commonest form of cancer, with around 800 000 cases diagnosed in 2012, and the incidence is increasing.
The response rate to therapy in advanced cancer is very low, only 2-5%, but there is potential to improve on this by using more personalized therapy. The combination of digital imaging with circulating biomarkers (Radiomics) can aid in identifying early therapeutic response, relapse and monitoring subsequent therapy. TK1 may be particularly important here as it may provide an indication of the rate of cellular proliferation in the tumour.
The study will be executed in collaboration with the Professor Ferruccio Bonino at the Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, Italy.
“We are excited to work together with Professor Bonino”, says Michael Brobjer, CEO of AroCell. “His innovative approach to combining biomarker modalities could improve the outcome of patients with a significant disease”.
Professor Bonino commented “We are very happy to cooperate with AroCell in this exciting project. The combination of a biomarker of cell proliferation (TK1) with digital imaging could provide important information on the aggressivity of the tumour and a new parameter of therapy response.”
About Thymidine Kinase 1
Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) is a key enzyme in DNA precursor synthesis. It is upregulated during the late G1 phase and early S phase of the cell cycle and its presence in cells is an indicator of active cell proliferation. Increased levels of TK1 in the blood can indicate active cell proliferation as a consequence of abnormal cell turnover and cell disruption triggered by for example therapeutic agents.
About AroCell TK 210 ELISA
AroCell TK 210 ELISA is a quantitative immunoassay kit for the determination of Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) in human blood. The ELISA format is simple and robust, requires no special instrumentation to perform and can easily be incorporated into standard laboratory processes. By utilizing monoclonal antibodies specific for the TK1 epitope TK 210, AroCell TK 210 ELISA brings improved sensitivity and specificity to the assay of this key biomarker. AroCell TK 210 ELISA provides new opportunities for studying cellular proliferation, disruption, and monitoring of therapy response and relapse in subjects with hematological and solid tumors.
About IBB-CNR
The Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB) of the National Research Council (CNR) has 100 employees distributed in Naples, Catania and Turin (70 researchers / technologists) and carries out translational research for the development of new tools for prevention, diagnosis and targeted therapies. Researchers studying biomolecules from a structural and functional point of view collaborate with experts in preclinical imaging, who study cellular and animal models of human diseases and with researchers performing clinical trials in humans.