MEDICAL
PRNewswire | June 02, 2023
During this year's AAPS National biotechnology conference, Navigate BioPharma Services, Inc., a Novartis subsidiary and a leading provider of innovative biomarker solutions for drug development, announced the launch of its new multiplex digital PCR assays for comprehensive quantification of multiple chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, a type of cancer immunotherapy that involves genetically modifying T cells to recognize and destroy certain cancers. These assays are based on the Qiagen QIAcuity digital PCR System, which offers a powerful yet easy-to-use digital PCR experience through its unique nanoplate system.
The new multiplex digital PCR assay enables simultaneous measurement of the number, function and persistence of CAR-T cells in clinical blood and bone marrow samples, without the need for a standard curve. It can detect as low as 0.01% of CAR-T cells among normal T cells, with a turnaround time of less than two hours. These assays can measure up to five different CAR-T cell markers in a single reaction, using specific probes for different CAR targets, to quantitate multiple CAR-domains, or combinations of commonly used therapeutic targets for CAR-T therapies. The assay can help clinicians monitor response or safety events during clinical trials to enable the development of new therapies.
"CAR-T therapy is a promising and innovative approach to treat cancer, but it requires accurate and reliable quantification of CAR-T cells for successful drug development," said Dr. Nathan Riccitelli, Associate Director of Innovative Technologies at Navigate BioPharma Services, Inc. "Our new proprietary multiplex digital PCR assay provides a comprehensive and robust solution for measuring CAR-T cells in clinical samples with high sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility."
Navigate BioPharma Services, Inc. has developed this assay for use in sponsors-led clinical trials. If interested, contact them about how this assay can be used in upcoming clinical trial studies.
Navigate Biopharma Services, Inc.
Navigate BioPharma Services, Inc., an independently operating subsidiary within the Novartis group of companies, is a leading provider of innovative biomarker and specialty bioanalytic solutions for clinical development. Over the past decade, Navigate BioPharma has built and developed its exclusive library of assays, methodologies, and biomarker solutions. Their extensive expertise offers unique, accurate, reliable, and cost-effective solutions for its customers and partners.
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MEDTECH, MEDICAL
Businesswire | May 23, 2023
Twist Bioscience Corporation a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, today announced the launch of a portfolio of RNA sequencing tools, which includes the Twist RNA Exome, Twist RNA Library Prep Kit and the Twist Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) & Hemoglobin (Globin) Depletion Kit, as well as custom target enrichment capabilities for RNA and whole transcriptome sequencing. This comprehensive suite of RNA tools can enable targeted or whole transcriptome research across fields including precision medicine, biomarker discovery and immuno-oncology research.
“Twist’s RNA sequencing portfolio builds on our established NGS capabilities in genomic sequencing and methylation detection and expands into gene expression analysis, opening a new and significant market for Twist,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “This offering allows our customers to leverage Twist’s leading target enrichment platform to discover and resolve low abundance RNA transcripts in the human transcriptome. Our RNA sequencing workflows are designed specifically for challenging samples. By enriching relevant transcripts, we can enable researchers to get high-quality data from a range of sample types, including damaged RNA.”
Unlike the genome, which is relatively static, the transcriptome changes over time in response to varying disease states and drug therapies. Gene expression levels also differ across tissues and cell types. To fully understand this dynamic quality of RNA, researchers often sequence RNA samples from the same source at multiple time points, incurring additional costs and resource burdens. Each component of the Twist RNA sequencing portfolio is purpose-built to maximize data quality, minimize workflow inefficiency, decrease wasted sequencing reads, and support comprehensive transcriptomic profiling across even low-quality and low-input samples common in oncology.
The Twist RNA sequencing portfolio provides end-to-end workflows that can be used to study total RNA and measure the whole transcriptome, protein coding sequences of messenger RNA (mRNA) or custom targets. These products can also be integrated into customers’ existing workflows. Twist RNA sequencing tools enable minimal hands-on time and increase the scale of samples sequenced through utilizing automation. They are compatible with a wide range of sample inputs, including difficult or low-quality samples. RNA panel designs can also now incorporate Twist’s new exon-aware design algorithm, which reduces bias in detection and can provide an important tool for researchers studying rare gene transcripts that drive tumor biology.
Twist Targeted RNA Sequencing Workflow
Twist target enrichment for RNA leverages the performance, efficiency and sensitivity of Twist target enrichment for sequencing of RNA transcripts of interest across samples and species. It can be used to enrich relevant transcripts with the RNA Exome or in custom RNA panels.
Twist RNA Exome
The Twist RNA Exome with Twist’s exon-aware design algorithm enables targeted sequencing of the protein coding regions of the human transcriptome without bias toward specific combinations of exons. The Twist RNA Exome covers up to 99.9% of protein coding sequencing in Gencode and RefSeq databases. This coverage, along with the exon-aware design approach, could enable researchers to capture important transcripts including those in low input and degraded samples from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) sections.
Twist Whole Transcriptome Sequencing Workflow
Twist Whole Transcriptome Sequencing can be used to discover novel transcripts, including low expressing genes and novel isoforms. It can be used with a variety of samples including whole blood, fresh and frozen tissue samples and low quality samples, such as FFPE samples. The Twist rRNA & Globin Depletion Kit can be used with this workflow to deplete rRNA and hemoglobin targets so that researchers can study the rest of the transcriptome. The full workflow can be completed in less than five hours with minimal hands-on time.
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive DNA synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its unique technology to manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist makes products for use across many industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.
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MEDTECH, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Businesswire | May 31, 2023
ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. an AI-driven biotherapeutic research and technology company, announced that its subsidiary, BioStrand®, has successfully solved the Information Integration Dilemma (IID) by developing a unique technology design that enables their patented HYFT Technology to encapsulate and unify diverse data modalities - including syntactical (sequence) data, 3D structural data, unstructured scientific information (e.g. scientific literature), and beyond - into a singular, integrated framework.
This breakthrough approach facilitates efficient data fusion, enabling a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of complex biological data. With HYFTs, BioStrand effectively addresses the IID, paving the way for quicker and more potent biological discoveries. This innovation has the potential to bring a paradigm shift in various domains including drug development, biomarker discovery, and the study of disease pathology, among others. The IID has long been a significant challenge for the biotechnology industry, as researchers and investors have grappled with the complexities of integrating various data types to gain meaningful insights. In the rapidly evolving field of biotechnology, data is generated from multiple sources such as scientific literature, experimental data, and genomic information. The integration of these different data types is critical for accelerating innovation and driving the discovery of novel therapeutics. However, traditional approaches have struggled to efficiently combine and analy ze this diverse data, often leading to incomplete or inaccurate conclusions. BioStrand's breakthrough approach leverages its patented HYFT® technology and LENSaiTM platform, which together enable the efficient analysis and understanding of complex biological data. By solving the IID, BioStrand has unlocked new possibilities for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, which is expected to benefit both patients and the investor community.
Dirk Van Hyfte, Co-Founder and Head of Innovation of BioStrand, said, "We are thrilled to have overcome the Information Integration Dilemma, which has long been a major hurdle in our industry. Our HYFT technology and LENSai platform are now poised to revolutionize the way researchers and AI-driven systems process and analyze complex biological data, ultimately leading to faster and more effective drug discovery and development."
BioStrand's HYFT technology extracts unique patterns, known as Universal Fingerprint™ patterns, from the entire biosphere, and integrates them with various data sources, such as scientific papers and medical records. The resulting Knowledge Graph encompasses over 660 million HYFTs and more than 25 billion relations, providing a powerful resource for researchers and AI-driven analysis. The LENSai platform, powered by HYFT technology, takes advantage of the latest advancements in large language models (LLMs) to bridge the gap between syntax (sequences) and semantics (functions). This enables the platform to extract valuable insights from vast amounts of data, without the limitations of traditional LLMs. IPA's support of BioStrand's pioneering work reinforces its commitment to investing in cutting-edge biotechnology solutions with the potential to transform the industry. The successful resolution of the Information Integration Dilemma not only demonstrates the innovative nature of BioStrand's technology but also highlights the Company's dedication to improving the lives of patients worldwide.
About ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd
ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. has several subsidiaries in North America and Europe including entities such as Talem Therapeutics LLC, BioStrand BV, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (Canada) Ltd., and ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (Europe) B.V. The IPA Family is a biotherapeutic research and technology group that leverages systems biology, multi-omics modeling, and complex artificial intelligence systems to support its proprietary technologies in bioplatform-based antibody discovery. Services include highly specialized, full-continuum therapeutic biologics discovery, development, and out-licensing to support its business partners in their quest to discover and develop novel biologics against the most challenging targets.
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