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First Large-Scale Screening Trial to Identify Blood Cancer Before Disease Develops

28 Jun 2016
Alex Waite
Editorial Assistant

Industry news

The Binding Site is delighted to welcome Dr Sigurdur Kristinsson from the University of Iceland to its head office in Birmingham, UK to progress a landmark, large-scale screening study aimed at preventing Myeloma before it develops.

The ground-breaking iStopMM (Iceland Screens Treats or Prevents Multiple Myeloma) study will test blood samples from adults over the age of 40 in Iceland, almost one third of the country’s population, for the earliest signs of Myeloma.

Myeloma, a difficult to diagnose cancer of blood plasma cells, affects approximately 15,000 people in the UK, and more than 200,000 people around the world. Previously there was a short life expectancy associated with the disease, but new potent therapies are becoming available for myeloma with fewer side effects, as such it is expected that earlier diagnosis and treatment will be shown to improve patient survival and quality of life.

Binding Site, a UK-based maker of diagnostic assays, will perform the study’s initial screening phase, in Birmingham including the use of their highly sensitive Freelite® assay. Dr Stephen Harding, R&D Director, and one of the instigators of this study said “iStopMM is at the heart of everything Binding Site has stood for since the launch of Freelite; we are delighted to support Dr Kristinsson.”

Charles de Rohan, Binding Site CEO at Binding Site commented “We have a total commitment to research in this field and Binding Site is delighted to support projects such as this aimed at improving patient care and outcomes.”

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Cell / Tissue CultureCell culture or tissue culture is used to study the biology of cells or tissues and to isolate cellular products in an environment which can be manipulated and well defined. Accurately control your culture environment with bioreactors or culture incubators, bind your cells to a surface or together with an extracellular matrix. Distinguish cell types with differential media or proliferate cells with certain characteristics using selective media. Enrich your media with supplements such as growth factors, sera and vitamins. Find the best cell and tissue culture products, kits and equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Data AnalysisData analysis hardware and software is available to make data processing straight-forward yet powerful. Data software can be used for math and stats, technical graphing and image analysis. In addition, software is available for specific data analysis of electrophoresis, densitometry, ELISA and DNA sequencing.Assay AssemblyAssay Assembly is technique used in drug discovery to develop assays to test the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, or other activities of a compound on a cell. Assay assembly requires chip assembly, a delivery system and a detection and analysis method. Beneficial features of assay kits or automated systems include high-throughput, high speed and sensitivity and low signal to noise ratio.HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types.  Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.Cell-Based AssaysCell-based assays are used to monitor the presence, quantity and activities of a desired cellular analyte including drug molecules or biomarkers. This can reveal information on cell health (apoptosis, cytotoxicity, viability and proliferation assays), cell metabolism, cell migration and cell signaling mechanisms. Find the best cell-based assay products, kits and equipment with our peer reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receiving pricing direct from manufacturers.Clinical TrialsClinical Trials, an essential part of drug discovery process, assess the safety and effectiveness of a new medication or device in the pharmaceutical industry. Clinical Trials are a phased process (Phase 0, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III and Phase IV) which begins after initial preclinical testing.Clinical GeneticsMolecular Genetics covers the analysis of hereditary genetic disease and chromosomal abnormalities. Genetics can be analysed using DNA, RNA, and protein microarrays, PCR, RT PCR and DNA sequencing. Genetic equipment includes genetic workstations, thermal cyclers, cooling blocks and electrophoresis products. Diagnostic kits are used for DNA / RNA extraction and purification.RegulatoryPharmaceutical regulations impact on all areas of drug development, manufacture and control and supply. Services are provided from the early stages of drug development and clinical trials through to dossier submission, approval and marketing. Regulatory also includes submission of analytical studies from the pharmaceutical product and safety. Cancer DiagnosticsThere are a wide variety of diagnostic tests for cancer available, and this range continues to expand as our knowledge of cancer improves. Current diagnostic methods include biopsy, imaging and blood tests for known biomarkers. New methods in research development include liquid biopsies and cancer breathalyzers.Assay DevelopmentThe process of proving an assay to be sensitive with respect to the target is known as assay development. The assay should be able to characterize novel compounds and measure the potency of these compounds against a validated biological target.MyelomaMultiple MyelomaBlood AnalysisThe analysis of blood is vital for many areas of life sciences and forensic investigations. Blood samples can be tested for a number of different reasons such as diagnosis, glucose levels, cholesterol and drug testing.Cancer ResearchAlthough cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases. Microscopy, mass spectrometry, high throughput sequencing and flow cytometry are some of the most common techniques employed in cancer research labs.

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First Large-Scale Screening Trial to Identify Blood Cancer Before Disease Develops