BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a new paper published in Nature's Scientific Reports, researchers at SomaLogic Inc. studied the value of protein biomarkers in the early detection of cancer and the stratification of cancerous tumors. The research team identified 15 blood proteins shared among all cancer types as well as models to stratify tumor types. The goal of this research was to identify protein biomarkers that could be used to detect early-stage cancer during regular screenings, which could increase treatment options for patients, minimize the likelihood of chemotherapy resistance and reduce the risk of tumor metastases.
Early detection of cancer offers the best chance of successful treatment, but many cancers are only diagnosed at an advanced stage after patients exhibit symptoms or the disease is found during an unrelated procedure. Currently, screening tests for breast, colon, cervical, prostate and lung cancer are limited by their lack of sensitivity, invasiveness, high false positives and low patient compliance. Using the SomaScan® platform and machine learning, researchers at SomaLogic sought to overcome these challenges and limitations by exploring the possibility of identifying tumor-associated proteins in a mouse model that can be detected with a simple blood test early in the disease process and use them to establish the presence and identity of cancerous tumors.
"In addition to tumor-specific biomarker models, we were also able to identify sentinel proteins in plasma for four different tumor types," said SomaLogic Chief Science Officer Nebojsa Janjic, who was an author on the paper. "Using our proteomics technology, we also developed a pan-cancer prediction model that can detect the presence of ...