Unique bioinformatic platform uncovers cancer-specific genes
We at OncoLife believe that effective cancer therapies need not be harmful to the patient. The recent advent of next generation data has permitted unprecedented insight into the specific genes driving cancer cell growth. This provides the exciting possibility of discovering therapeutic targets that are unique to the progression of each cancer type, but critically, are not involved in other tissues throughout the body. Our bioinformatics team has developed a state-of-the-art analytical platform to uncover these much needed, safe cancer therapeutics.
Every functionally separate group of cells, whether healthy or diseased, will have a distinct signature of genes that produce their unique functional activities. We have developed a computational platform that isolates the unique genetic signatures that distinguish the cancer cells from the rest of the body. From these genetic signatures, we are able to identify genes switched on in cancer cells that are not active in normal, healthy human cell populations. It is these ‘cancer-specific’ genes that form the basis of our laboratory pipeline to fast track the development of powerful, and extremely cancer-specific therapies, designed from the outset to target cancer cells, while leaving heathy tissue unaffected.
Our approach is far more sophisticated than conventional methods as we have unique in-house datasets that, combined with numerous publicly-available datasets, make it possible to carefully detect gene expression differences between stem and cancer cells using the same sequencing platform; custom-built, cutting-edge bioinformatic pipelines and in-depth genomic analyses. Our exhaustively filtered gene targets are then tested in vitro in relevant cell types to assess function, followed by in vivo testing.
