Amplifying Fluorescent Polymer Diagnostics for Respiratory Pathogens

Current serum biomarkers for cancer do not approach the ideal of 95% sensitivity andspecificity. Tumor-associated fatty acid synthase (FAS) has been identified as animmunohistochemical marker potentially useful in monitoring tumor aggressiveness andpredicting disease course. FAS can be detected in sera of individuals with pre-neoplasticdiseases, as levels increase as disease progresses. In a first generation format,FASgen's 2-site ELISA has detected significantly (p<0.01) increased levels of FAS insera from patient with the following cancers: breast (83%), prostate (55%), colon (90%),and ovarian (40%). While there may exist subsets of cancer patients who do notelaborate FAS into their sera, FASgen believes that the sensitivity, possibly thespecificity, and the commercializability of the assay will be improved byfurther optimization of the capture and detecting reagents used in the sandwich assay. The serum FAS based test is a potentially sensitive and specific marker of a wide rangeof cancers and preneoplastic disorders that will enhance the screening of asymptomaticpopulations, the early detecetion of aggressive cancers, therapeutic decision making,and the monitoring of individual patient's course.