Methods and Markers for Predicting Tumor Behavior and Metastatic Risk in Epithelial Malignancies

Value Proposition:

• Early detection of metastatic cancer: Accurately predicts metastatic cancer risk potential by detection of specific biological markers in patient tumors.
• Applicability across multiple cancer types: Cancer biomarker detection technology that can be potentially applied to epithelial tumors including colon, breast, and prostate.
• Improved prognostic accuracy: The technology provides an accurate prognosis of metastatic solid tumors enabling early treatment intervention, increased survival rates, and targeted patient therapy.

Unmet Need:

Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Metastasis involves the uncontrollable spread of malignant cells from the original tumor to other parts of the body. Early cancer detection allows for timely treatment, which may prevent the spread of cancer and improve patient survival rates. Current methods for cancer detection include imaging approaches and biopsy techniques. However, they are limited in their ability to predict the early metastatic potential of many tumors. Therefore, there is a strong need for diagnostic technologies that accurately detect biological signatures for metastatic potential for the early implementation of appropriate treatment regimens to improve patient outcomes.

Technology Description:

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a diagnostic technology for early and accurate detection of epithelial tumors with metastatic potential. Unlike traditional methods like imaging and biopsies, which often detect metastasis at a later stage, this gene barcode-based technology offers a precise way to predict metastatic potential. It can be applied across various types of epithelial tissue-derived cancers including colon, breast, and prostate, making it a versatile tool in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Overall, this technology represents a significant advancement in the prevention of cancer spread by enabling more accurate and timely detection of metastatic potential.

Stage of Development:

• The metastatic risk potential biomarker technology has been tested in mouse cancer models.
• The technology has been validated using publicly available datasets for several epithelial tumors.

Data Availability:

Available upon request

Publication: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.14.607813