Further down the road, another competitive threat looms larger:
nanosphere-inc.com
At first blush, you'll think this is a genomics and SNP company. But the website's publications database is out of date. Check out this by the co-founder:
>>Science. 2003 Sep 26;301(5641):1884-6.
Nanoparticle-based bio-bar codes for the ultrasensitive detection of proteins.
Nam JM, Thaxton CS, Mirkin CA.
Department of Chemistry and Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
An ultrasensitive method for detecting protein analytes has been developed. The system relies on magnetic microparticle probes with antibodies that specifically bind a target of interest [prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in this case] and nanoparticle probes that are encoded with DNA that is unique to the protein target of interest and antibodies that can sandwich the target captured by the microparticle probes. Magnetic separation of the complexed probes and target followed by dehybridization of the oligonucleotides on the nanoparticle probe surface allows the determination of the presence of the target protein by identifying the oligonucleotide sequence released from the nanoparticle probe. Because the nanoparticle probe carries with it a large number of oligonucleotides per protein binding event, there is substantial amplification and PSA can be detected at 30 attomolar concentration. Alternatively, a polymerase chain reaction on the oligonucleotide bar codes can boost the sensitivity to 3 attomolar. Comparable clinically accepted conventional assays for detecting the same target have sensitivity limits of approximately 3 picomdar, six orders of magnitude less sensitive than what is observed with this method.<<
and
pubs.acs.org
Nigel made the beginnings of a patent search on the proteomics thread, but neither of us have gone through them all to see if one describing the above technology is in there. My gut says that if it's not yet, it will be. Clearly, even if these guys go into high gear, they're at least a couple of years behind CIPH in getting a diagnostic test to market. But worth watching.
Cheers, Tuck |
