NanoString and Mayo Clinic Collaborate to Develop Novel Clinical Assays for High-Risk Breast Cancer and Leukemia

On July 30, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that NanoString and Mayo Clinic Laboratories announced a collaboration to develop clinical tests for breast cancer and leukemia using NanoString’s novel GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. GeoMx combines spatial and molecular analysis technologies to generate whole-tissue images at single-cell resolution, while providing digital analytical data on tens of thousands of RNA or protein analytes for up to 16–20 tissue sections per day. This combination of spatial profiling enables researchers to rapidly assess the biological significance within tissue samples.

As part of the collaboration, both parties will utilize NanoString’s nCounter platform and GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler. The initial cross-disciplinary study will employ GeoMx DSP technology to investigate the immune architecture of high-risk hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer samples, aiming to elucidate the biology of breast cancer. Understanding this biology is a prerequisite for developing prognostic or predictive biomarkers and novel therapies. The second study will evaluate whether NanoString’s fusion detection assay on the nCounter platform can serve as a scalable and cost-effective alternative to conventional FISH testing in leukemia research.

Brad Gray, President and Chief Executive Officer of NanoString, stated, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Mayo Clinic Laboratories. Combining their expertise in translational research with our cutting-edge technology provides us with an opportunity to enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms, thereby achieving better patient outcomes.”

“We look forward to this collaboration, which will ultimately enable us to understand complex disease states and develop new diagnostic tests to provide novel therapies for our customers and patients,” said William Morice II, M.D., Chair of Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic.

NanoString is a leading provider of life science solutions for translational research and molecular diagnostic products. The company’s nCounter® Analysis System is used in life science research and has been cited in more than 2,650 peer-reviewed publications. The nCounter Analysis System offers a cost-effective method for conveniently analyzing the expression of hundreds of genes, proteins, miRNAs, or copy number variations with high sensitivity and accuracy, facilitating a wide range of basic research and translational medicine applications, including biomarker discovery and validation. The company’s GeoMx™ Digital Spatial Profiler enables highly multiplexed spatial analysis of RNA and protein targets across various sample types, including FFPE tissue sections. The company’s technologies are also employed in diagnostics. The Prosigna® Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay and the nCounter Dx Analysis System have received FDA 510(k) clearance as prognostic indicators for distant recurrence in breast cancer.

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic provides advanced laboratory testing and pathology services, supporting 4,000 healthcare organizations worldwide. Revenue from these tests supports medical education and research at Mayo Clinic, a globally leading nonprofit institution dedicated to providing healthcare, conducting research, and offering education to people from all walks of life. With the support of collaborations with diagnostic and biotechnology companies, Mayo Clinic maintains a robust diagnostic test development program, launching more than 150 new tests annually.

(Compiled by: Xu Wenjuan)