Studies reveal diagnostic biomarker signatures for more and more diseases using febit’s miRNA Biochip

Screening program is based on established test Biochip and expert biostatistical anaylsis

LEXINGTON, Mass. (USA), and HEIDELBERG, Germany, January 13, 2010
febit’s established miRNA biomarker test Biochip is now routinely used in basic and clinical research to identify biomarker signatures in various human diseases. Pilot studies that are currently under way include different tumor entities, neurodegenerative diseases, and viral infections. febit’s technology and comprehensive service options facilitate the accomplishment of such clinical case-control studies and can be applied to any disease of interest. Examining transcriptional changes in patients compared to healthy probands enables the development of diagnostic and prognostic biomarker signatures. The goal of these screening programs is to detect human diseases such as cancer at an early stage and optimize treatment with personalized patient care. febit offers full support to set up comprehensive studies including study design, experimental workflow and biostatistical analysis of the results. Automated miRNA biomarker profiling studies with blood as an easily accessible clinical sample source, performed on the Geniom RT Analyzer, indicate that analysis of miRNA profiles in patients’ blood samples is a promising approach for minimally invasive diagnostic testing. Specific signatures, based on the minimum number of significantly deregulated miRNAs that is necessary to distinguish patients from controls, have been generated for a variety of human diseases and allow for accurate classification of the investigated patient groups. With the discovery of new biomarkers and the development of predictive or diagnostic signatures these studies might provide the basis for early diagnostic testing, detection and assessment of disease development.