Proteomics, Bioinfomatics Detect Ovarian Cancer

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of a study ``fast-track'' published today on The Lancet's Web site (http://www.thelancet.com ) shows that a new method of assessing protein patterns in blood samples was able to detect 100 percent of ovarian cancer cases, even at the elusive early stage when the cancer is most survivable.

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly form of any cancer of the female reproductive system, and new technologies for early detection are urgently needed. Although the five-year survival rate is 95 percent if diagnosed and treated in the early stages, 74 percent of all ovarian cancer cases are not discovered until they are more advanced, when five-year survival is only 29 percent.

The Lancet study was conducted by researchers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/ National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Proteomics Program, Northwestern University Medical School, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Correlogic Systems, Inc., the developer of the proprietary algorithms and processes that identified the protein patterns. The Lancet will publish the study in the February 16 edition of their printed publication.

In an analysis of 116 blinded blood samples -- 50 from patients with cancer and 66 with non-malignant disease -- the researchers were able to correctly identify all 50 cases of ovarian cancer, including, most significantly, all 18 stage I cases. Of the controls, 63 of the 66 (95%) were identified as non-cancer. This is a vast improvement over the currently used ovarian cancer detection technique of identifying the tumor marker CA125 combined with ultrasound.

This study presents a major advance in the evolving discipline of proteomics, the study of proteins and their role in disease, and bioinformatics, the marriage between computer science and biology. ``Our research provides us with very intriguing early results, and justifies us to expand our analysis to larger validation trials,'' said Emanuel Petricoin, Ph.D., lead author of the study and Co-Director of the Clinical Proteomics Program, a joint research and clinical program of the FDA and the NCI. ``The concept that patterns of proteins instead of single biomarkers can be used as a potential diagnostic is a brand new paradigm. We now need to really assess the true ability of this new concept to improve and possibly even save the lives of people with cancer.''

The study was conducted in two stages. First, protein patterns from the blood samples of 50 women with known ovarian cancer and 50 women without disease were generated using mass spectrometry, creating more than 15,000 data points per patient. The bioinformatics tool developed by Correlogic, Proteome Quest(TM), was utilized to analyze the data and identify a proteomic pattern that completely discriminated the cancer from non-cancer samples. In the second stage, the discovered pattern -- essentially a computational disease ``model'' -- was then used to classify the independent set of 116 blinded patient blood samples.

``We believe this concept of recognizing protein patterns to diagnose disease offers potential benefits beyond ovarian cancer. Proteome Quest(TM) is currently being studied in other disease states. We are in the process of finalizing a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the FDA/NCI's Clinical Proteomic Program to expand on our existing collaboration in developing diagnostic disease models,'' said Peter J. Levine, President of Correlogic Systems, Inc. and a coauthor of The Lancet paper.

This technology is still being researched and is not yet available to the public. For people interested in learning more about ovarian cancer and detection, contact the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance at OCNA@ovariancancer.org or visit http://www.ovariancancer.org .

Correlogic Systems, Inc. is a Bethesda, MD-based bioinformatics company engaged in the development of bioinformatic tools and processes for proteomic and genomic-based clinical diagnostic systems and new drug discovery. Proteome Quest, the proprietary bioinformatics tool used in the study, was developed by Correlogic Systems, Inc. (http://www.correlogic.com )

For Patient Inquiries: Contact the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance at OCNA@ovariancancer.org or visit http://www.ovariancancer.org .

SOURCE: Correlogic Systems, Inc.