Collaboration to Develop Molecular Tests for Skin Diseases

The University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC, Denver, CO, USA) and Source MDx (Boulder, CO, USA) have entered into a research collaboration to develop molecular diagnostic tests for early diagnosis and prognosis of skin diseases, including melanoma and psoriasis.

Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive and life-threatening skin cancer and has a high tendency to spread to other parts of the body. "Early detection and accurate staging of melanoma is critical to the management of melanoma, and identifying the patients who will show progression to metastatic disease is important to direct an appropriate treatment regimen,” said Mayumi Fujita, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "Malignant melanoma, when detected prior to progression, is a highly curable malignancy.”

The melanoma research collaboration will focus on the development of blood biomarkers to screen patients and provide predictors for melanoma prognosis. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery is now the primary predictor of melanoma prognosis and the collaboration aims to provide diagnostic tests based on blood samples to replace this expensive, invasive surgery.

The collaboration will also focus on mechanism-of-action studies with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) biologic agents and other anti-cytokine biologic therapeutic agents in chronic plaque psoriasis. Psoriasis is a common skin disease characterized by thickened patches of inflamed, red skin covered with thick, silvery scales. The disease causes sufferers much discomfort in their day-to-day living.

Research will be based on Source MDx's patented molecular medicine technology. Source MDx is focused on the development of RNA-based biomarkers and companion diagnostics in inflammation-related therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiovascular, autoimmune, and infectious diseases.



Related Links:
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
Source MDx