News Release
LeidenUniversity Medical Centre and Biotech Support Group Enter Joint ResearchAgreement for Stromal Conditioning Biomarkers in Cancer
Objectives are to characterize and quantify Stroma LiquidBiopsy™ biomarkers so as to correlate to the Tumor-Stroma Ratio scoring methodsdeveloped by Leiden University
MONMOUTH JUNCTION, NJ, May20, 2019 -- Biotech Support Group (BSG) and Leiden University Medical Centre(LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands, announce that they have entered a mutualresearch collaboration. Their joint goal is to correlate BSG’s patent pendingStroma Liquid Biopsy™ panel of blood-borne biomarkers, to tissue derivedTumor-stroma scoring methods developed by LUMC.
Aim and keyobjectives of the Research Collaboration
Tumors are more thanjust a mass of proliferating cells and therefore cancer progression isinfluenced by the multiple normal non-cancerous cell types and networks ofproteins dynamically interacting in active tumorigenesis. These are not simplypassive bystanders and consequently reflect the tumor-associatedmicroenvironments called the stroma. Percolating through the tumor mass andintroduced into the general circulation, stromal conditioning of tumors canthus be monitored by blood tests. Accounting for and characterizing the stromalinfluence on disease progression and response to therapies will become ofparamount importance in the management of cancer patients in the future.
Based on stainedsurgically removed primary tissue sections, LUMC has developed a tumor-stromaratio (TSR) reported to be a strong, independent prognostic parameter linkingtumors with high stromal content to poor prognosis.LUMC will make available histologicalsections from primary tissue material (removed during operation) from patientswith colorectal, breast and pancreatic cancer. Moreover from these patients(longitudinally collected) serum is available, collected under standardized conditions,for analysis of biomarkers. Clinical data of these patients and follow upinformation is available.
The patent pendingpanel of BSG’s Stroma Liquid Biopsy™ proteomic biomarkers, in part reflects thetumor-associated microenvironments introduced into the bloodstream, and towhich can be monitored by blood tests. In this project, we aim to characterizeand quantify the Stroma Liquid Biopsy™ biomarkers from LUMC collected patientsera, so as to correlate to the LUMC developed Tumor-Stroma Ratio scoringmethods. Once achieved, we will have gained invaluable information central tounderstanding how individuals uniquely adapt to the presence of cancer anywherein the body, how individuals can be stratified towards the best therapeuticoptions, and how individuals uniquely respond to medical intervention.
“This is a very exciting collaboration for usas LUMC has been at the forefront in research on the microenvironmentcomponentry of cancer. While much knowledge surrounds the genomic mutations ofthe cancerous cells, even with the introduction of immuno-therapies, we stillknow very little about the hospitality derived from an individual’s systemicresponse to uncontrolled cellular proliferation. It is critically importanttherefore to gain a much deeper understanding of this complex interplaydetermined by the patient’s individualized cellular and protein dynamics withintumors. In this collaboration we hope to leverage our joint technologies andcapabilities to observe functional reporting features of chronic systemicimbalances of proteolytic regulation; such reporting will become central tounderstanding how individuals uniquely respond to the presence of canceranywhere in the body. With a much better understanding of the systemic responseto cancer, new avenues for diagnosis, personalized medicine, and therapeuticmodalities will be possible, ultimately achieving improvement in survival.”states Swapan Roy, Ph.D., President and Founder of Biotech Support Group.
Dr. Wilma Mesker(Associate Professor) and Prof. Rob Tollenaar (Surgeon) of the LeidenUniversity Medical Center concur, and state further that, “the tumor-stromamicroenvironment is an important prognostic parameter for patients withepithelial cancer types. Patients with a high amount of stromal cells in theprimary tumor have a bad prognosis and respond worse to current chemotherapyregimens. Blood derived information about various tumor environmental factorscould reduce under and over-treatment of cancer patients with chemotherapy, andoffers unique possibilities and insight for monitoring during treatment andpersonalized therapy”.
To Learn More AboutStroma Liquid Biopsy™, download whitepaper at:
About Biotech SupportGroup LLC
Convergingwith cultural and technological disruptions forthcoming in healthcare, BiotechSupport Group develops methods for cost effective and efficient sample prepessential for these expanding markets. Following a tiered business strategy,the company continues its growth in the consumable research products areasupporting the rapidly expanding installation of LC-MS instrument andcomputational infrastructure. For this market, key products include: AlbuVoid™and AlbuSorb™ for albumin depletion, Cleanascite™ for lipid adsorption,HemogloBind™ and HemoVoid™ for hemoglobin removal, and NuGel™ for functionalproteomics. From these innovations, the company has acquired knowledgebase andbiomarker intellectual property assets that support discoveries of proteinmarkers from blood, with special emphasis on early detection and personalizedmedical decisions for cancer patients. For more information, go tohttps://www.biotechsupportgroup.com/
Forlicense, collaboration and partnership opportunities at BSG,
Contact:Matthew Kuruc732-274-2866, [email protected]
AboutLeiden University Medical Centre (LUMC)
As the world changes and its population ages,the number of patients with chronicdiseases and disorders is expanding, while medical costs increase. Therefore,the health of the global population is one of the biggest challenges of ourtime. Leiden University Medical Center believes that this challenge asks for aclear vision and mission. At the LUMC, students are trained in lifelonginnovation and learning. Researchers let themselves be inspired and test theirfindings directly in practice. Patients can count on being helped according tothe state-of-the-art in science. The LUMC believes in curing but also inprevention. By collaborating with companies and organizations inside andoutside the region, the LUMC makes innovations and new applications actually possible. Thus theLUMC serves as an innovator for improving healthcare science and consequentlypeople’s health. For moreinformation, go to https://www.lumc.nl
For business development,
Contact: Jofey Chadwick, Ph.D.,+31-(0)71-5272689, [email protected]