Insight Genetics Inks Deal With St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to Improve Donor Matching in Bone Marrow …
Posted: October 1, 2013 at 3:40 am
NASHVILLE, TN--(Marketwired - Sep 30, 2013) - Insight Genetics today announced it has entered into an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a genetic test known as the KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay. The test helps to predict the success of bone marrow transplants by identifying the optimal bone marrow donor subtype. Use of the KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay has been shown to prevent the return of cancer in transplant recipients and reduce risk of death following bone marrow transplantation by about 60 percent. As part of the agreement, Insight Genetics will optimize the KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay for rapid, high-capacity use and make it broadly available to physicians and their patients as well as donor registries.
"When successful, bone marrow transplants can transform patients' lives," said Wing Leung, MD, PhD, Chair of St. Jude's Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. "This is why it's critical we do everything we can to ensure the best match between donor and recipient. The KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay has great potential in helping to identify the best transplant donors and improve outcomes for patients worldwide."
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration estimates that each year more than 18,000 Americans are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses for which bone marrow transplants are the best treatment option. There are millions of individuals registered as potential bone marrow donors, but effectively matching a patient in need of a transplant with the right donors is a difficult process.
According to the World Health Organization, when donors and recipients are optimally matched, bone marrow transplants can cure more than 90 percent of patients with blood and lymph cancers. The KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay has the potential to make the screening process more efficient and effective, greatly increasing the volume and quality of the donor-patient match. In fact, it is estimated that the test could assist in improving donor matches and increasing life expectancy for as many as 7,500 bone marrow transplant patients in the U.S. annually.
The KIR/KIR-Ligand test was developed by Dr. Leung, Dr. Rafijul Bari and colleagues at St. Jude as part of their research to determine the impact of variations in the KIR2DL1 gene. The group focused on forms of KIR2DL1 carried by natural killer (NK) cells, special immune cells that kill abnormal cells such as cancer cells. Their research found that some forms of KIR2DL1 in NK cells are more active than others, and NK cells carrying the stronger form of KIR2DL1 can destroy cancer cells more effectively than the NK cells with the less active form.
A study conducted by Bari, Leung and colleagues that was featured in the September 16 online version of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) showed that patients were much more likely to survive a transplant and significantly less likely to experience disease progression when bone marrow transplants came from donors whose NK cells included the stronger form of KIR2DL1.
"The KIR/KIR-Ligand technology developed at St. Jude offers enormous potential to improve the lives of patients who receive bone marrow transplants, and we're looking forward to putting our assay development expertise to work to make it available for widespread clinical use around the world," said David Hout, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development at Insight Genetics. "With this assay, we have the ability to type multiple donor samples simultaneously and generate results rapidly, all at a reduced cost compared to existing screening methods. This test will not only increase the efficiency with which transplants are performed but it also promises to help dramatically improve cure rates by optimally matching each donor and recipient."
Under the terms of the agreement with St. Jude, Insight Genetics obtained the licensing rights to KIR2DL1 coding (cDNA) sequences and the KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay. Using its expertise in assay development, Insight Genetics initially will focus on refining the assay for clinical use, with plans to make it available to clinicians and researchers as a lab-developed test in early 2014. The company will be working to deepen relationships with bone marrow donor registry programs and transplant centers to enhance typing and donor matching for each procedure.
Insight Genetics' work on the KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay aligns with the company's expanding portfolio of advanced diagnostic tools to improve the lives of cancer patients. St. Jude previously licensed to Insight Genetics two other biomarkers, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and a series of mutations within the ALK gene that confer resistance to ALK inhibitor therapy. The company is researching and developing additional tests to help physicians diagnose and monitor cancer patients and select the most effective treatments.
More information about St. Jude's work on the KIR/KIR-Ligand Assay can be seen here and here.
Read the original:
Insight Genetics Inks Deal With St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to Improve Donor Matching in Bone Marrow ...
- Gene Therapy Could Prevent Blindness [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2010]
- Gene Brodland Sits with Cambridge Who's Who in a Revealing Interview [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2010]
- Researchers Make Colon Cancer Breakthrough [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2010] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2010]
- Pro abortion- Antiabortion myth8 - Fly to India for safe abortion! [Last Updated On: October 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2010]
- New Fertility Test / Whooping Cough Alert / Gene Therapy for Depression [Last Updated On: October 21st, 2010] [Originally Added On: October 21st, 2010]
- Alzheimer's Breakthrough? [Last Updated On: October 23rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: October 23rd, 2010]
- Audio Genetics Lab - Native Flute - MP3Tera Forums [Last Updated On: December 8th, 2010] [Originally Added On: December 8th, 2010]
- Gene Therapy - Cortical Studios [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- There Shall Be Physicians for the Spirit: USC Institute for Genetic Medicine Art Gallery [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- IRRI: Rice genetic diversity and discovery [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Research Symposium: Mork Depart - 2006 - Video 1 [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Mendelian Genetics [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Ayurveda [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Drs. Kaspar and MacKenzie discuss the promise and path forward for SMA Gene Therapy [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- 3. Genetic Engineering [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Prof. Martinez Cruzado Lecture Part 3 "Amerindian Gene Study In Puerto Rico" [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Gene Therapy Research Makes Nationwide Children's Worthy of Wellstone Center [Last Updated On: May 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 8th, 2011]
- Gene Therapy Example [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Sweet Tooth Gene [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- OHSU's video of new gene therapy method developed at the Oregon National Primate Research Center [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Gregor Mendel's Punnett Squares [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Ethical Concerns With Genetic Engineering [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Dr. Laura Niklason on the importance of her AFAR grants for telomerase gene therapy research [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- What is the future of genetic medicine? [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Prof. Martinez Cruzado Lecture Part 2 "Amerindian Gene Study In Puerto Rico" [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Jewish DNA - Genetic Research and The Origins of the Jewish People [Last Updated On: May 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 9th, 2011]
- Future of genetic engineering - by Futurist Dr Patrick Dixon. Genetic mutations and genetic disorders. Gene science by conference keynote speaker [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2011]
- annstewart82's Genetic Medicine and God [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2011]
- Genetic research could unlock breeding seasons in sheep [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2011]
- Genetics 101 Part 1: What are genes? [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2011]
- Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine, 1 of 2 [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2011]
- Dan Arking of Johns Hopkins Medicine [Last Updated On: May 17th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 17th, 2011]
- Genetics : How Is Gene Therapy Done? [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Blindness [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Tomato suicide gene therapy [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Cancer Alternative Treatment - Gene Therapy for Cancer a Report from Channel 4 News [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Muscular Dystrophy Gene Therapy: ScienCentral News Video [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Sickle Cell Anemia -- Hope from Gene Therapy [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Challenges of gene therapy [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Pain Gene Therapy [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Gene therapy success 'reverses' blindness [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- DNA Gene Therapy [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- The Neural Circuitry of Perception [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Resetting Metabolism- Nuclear Receptors and AMPK: A Lecture by Ronald Evans, PhD [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Islands at Risk (Part 2) - Genetic Engineering in Hawai'i [Last Updated On: May 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 19th, 2011]
- Gene Therapy journal videocast from ASGCT 2011 Xiao Xiao on gene therapy for muscular dystrophy [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- HYBRID HUMANS-Hair Follicle Gene Therapy [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Genetics 101 Part 4: What is phenotype? [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Lloyd Pye - Ancient Genetic Engineering [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Study Designs: Genetic Association Studies [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Gene Therapy for Genetic Disease: The Long and Winding Road [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Introduction to Population Genetics [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Islands at Risk (Part 1) - Genetic Engineering in Hawai'i [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Genetics Based Research on Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Science in Action: Gene Therapy for Color Blindness [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2011]
- Gregg Semenza of Johns Hopkins Medicine on HIF 1 [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2011]
- The Sleepiness Gene [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2011]
- Blind Gene Therapy [Last Updated On: May 21st, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 21st, 2011]
- Richard Dawkins and Dr Yan on genetic ancestry (extended version) - Bang Goes the Theory - BBC One [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- Joshua Mendell of Johns Hopkins Medicine [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- Genetic/Genomic Faculty Champion Initiative (PM session) [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- euronews science - Epigenetics [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- The Genetic Age, Panel 1 [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- Biobanking and Bioethics: When Genetics Research Hits the Courts [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- Gene Therapy journal videocast from ASGCT 2011 Darren Wolfe on gene therapy for pain.m4v [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Genetics 101 Part 3: Where do your genes come from? [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- ASHG 2010 Mtg.: "Complex Disease Genetics Research in Populations" (Dr. Carlos Bustamente) [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Public Talk - Prof Leonard Seymour, Oxford [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- A New Era in Medicine: Genetics [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Genetic Engineering Animation [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Linda Brzustowicz - Genetic Causes of Schizophrenia [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Hadassah Gene Therapy Center [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Gene Therapy journal videocast from ASGCT 2011 Robin Ali on gene therapy for retinal disease [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- UF cardiologists study gene-modified stem cells to help Dobermans with common heart condition [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Akhilesh Pandey of Johns Hopkins Medicine [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- China's Cancer Drug - China [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- Genetic Therapy Restored Boy's Sight [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2011]
- Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine Class, 2 of 2 [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2011]
- Talking Research - Professor George Ebers - Vitamin D and genetics in MS [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2011]
- Designing Humanity - Genetic Engineering [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2011]