Danish consortium awarded DKK 14M to develop cancer diagnostic

Research collaboration

A consortium comprising RNA biomarker specialist Exiqon AS, the Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen has been awarded DKK 14 million by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation to develop and clinically validatie a molecular diagnostic test to identify cancer of unknown primary site.

The test will be based on Exiqon’s Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) detection technology, which will be used to identify microRNA biomarkers validated in collaboration with Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen. LNAs are a class of nucleotide analogues that bind strongly to RNA and DNA targets.

The award will expand a collaboration previously announced for the development a diagnostic test for cancer of unknown primary by supporting the clinical validation of the molecular diagnostic test.

Cancer of unknown primary, where secondary tumours have been identified but the primary source has not, accounts for approximately 5 per cent of all diagnosed cancer patients. Accurate diagnosis of the primary source is critical to determining the optimal treatment.

Lars Kongsbak, President and CEO of Exiqon, says, “Cancer is a complex and diverse disease against which more than 150 anticancer drugs have been approved, making the treatment decision process extremely complicated. By applying Exiqon’s proprietary LNA detection technology and miRNA biomarkers we are now changing the paradigm of cancer treatment and learning how to efficiently apply existing drugs.”

microRNAs are regulatory RNA molecules with widespread effects on gene regulation. Although the molecules are only recently identified, initial studies indicate that miRNAs may regulate 30 per cent or more of all genes in the genome, a till now hidden level of regulation. miRNAs play important roles in several types of cancers and in processes involved in cellular differentiation.