Press Releases
For Immediate Release
December 27, 2007
Orion Genomics Announces the Validation of MethylScope Technology and the Discovery of Biomarkers for Brain Cancer in a Genome-Wide Methylation Study Published in Carcinogenesis
ST. LOUIS, MO - December 19, 2006 - Orion Genomics today announced results from studies that validate MethylScope Technology as a powerful genome-wide DNA methylation profiling technique in Carcinogenesis, (Carcinogenesis. 2006 Dec;27(12):2409-23). In the paper titled, "Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling in a human cancer genome identifies novel epigenetic targets", Orion scientists generated high resolution DNA methylation maps of brain tumor derived cell lines and discovered novel biomarkers specific to certain brain cancers.
Orion validated measurements made by the array based technology by testing 95 loci with two independent methods. "Our published results show that the accuracy of MethylScope technology exceeds 90%, establishing the method as best in its class for genome-wide epigenetic studies," said Nathan D. Lakey, Chief Executive Officer and President of Orion Genomics. "By analyzing more than 21,000 sites across the genome and discovering novel tumor specific biomarkers, our results show that MethylScope technology is a robust and accurate tool to discover novel loci relevant in the detection and discovery of biomarkers important in cancer."
The MethylScope process consists of the quantification of at least one DNA sequence in a population of randomly fragmented DNA, which has been enriched for methylated or unmethylated sequences. In the manuscript, randomly cleaved DNA fragments were split into two portions, one was enriched for unmethylated DNA and labeled with a first dye, and the other was left untreated and was labeled with a second dye. The labeled fragments were then hybridized to an array. The DNA features on the MethylScope array were designed by Orion's bioinformatics team to comprehensively represent transcriptional start sites of most human genes. The array was scanned and dye ratios were determined for each spot, resulting in a high-resolution methylation profile of all of the genes in the sample.
About Orion Genomics
Orion Genomics, the Second Code biotechnology company, develops genomic research tools and molecular diagnostic products to detect cancer at its earliest stages and to aid in appropriate therapy selection. The company has active biomarker discovery programs in cancers of the breast, lung, ovaries and colon. Orion Genomics is located in the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis. For more information, visit the Orion Genomics website at http://www.oriongenomics.com.