Detecting growing tumors through changes in the plasma proteome
How blood-based screening revolutionizes early cancer detection
Detecting growing tumors through changes in the plasma proteome
For most malignancies, early tumor detection is crucial, as it expands treatment options, reduces metastases, and ultimately improves survival rates. Despite clear clinical appeal, early detection remains a considerable diagnostic challenge since small masses of tumors often remain asymptomatic and are difficult to discern from normal tissue by imaging methods.
In this GEN webinar, Nebojsa Janjic, PhD, will discuss the need for a reliable blood-based screening method capable of detecting cancers earlier. During the webinar, he will highlight results from a study involving researchers from SomaLogic and the University of Colorado School of Medicine that used a test capable of measuring 5000 proteins simultaneously. He’ll explain how scientists used the test to identify protein markers shared by multiple cancer types including lung, breast, colon, and ovarian tumors. Key learnings from the webinar include:
- How the innovative SomaScan® Platform was used to identify early protein biomarkers in plasma for four distinct tumor types.
- Findings that not only pinpoint biomarkers unique to each tumor type but also uncover 15 protein biomarkers shared across all cancer types, revolutionizing our understanding of cancer detection.
- The development of models to stratify tumor types and illuminate unique biological pathways of tumor cell lines.
Nebojsa Janjic, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
SomaLogic
Prior to joining SomaLogic, Dr. Janjic was the Founder and CSO of Replidyne, Inc., a biotechnology company focusing on the development of novel small-molecule antibacterial agents. He currently serves as an advisor and Chairman of the Board of Crestone, Inc., the successor company of Replidyne. Prior to Replidyne, he was among the initial group of scientists to join NeXagen, which later became NeXstar Pharmaceuticals. As the Senior Director of Drug Discovery at NeXstar, he was responsible for creating a pipeline of aptamer-based drug candidates for pre-clinical and clinical development. His contributions included the discovery and early development of Macugen, a first-in-class, FDA-approved treatment for macular degeneration that was named Innovative Pharmaceutical Product of the Year in 2005. Dr. Janjic received his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and doctorate in physical organic chemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla as a Cancer Research Institute Fellow.
Detecting growing tumors through changes in the plasma proteome
A presentation by Nebojsa Janjic, PhD
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