Exosome Diagnostics demonstrates mutation detection using combined exoRNA and cfDNA isolation and analysis

Exosome Diagnostics, Inc., a developer of biofluid-based molecular diagnostics, has announced new data demonstrating the ability of its technology platform to simultaneously isolate and analyze both exosomal RNA (exoRNA) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma. Data presented from several studies involving blood plasma samples from cancer patients showed that combined analysis using the company’s single isolation column enabled precise, biologically comprehensive molecular biofluid-based mutation detection in cancer, including the capability for longitudinal monitoring. In addition, the data demonstrated that diagnostic applications developed using the company’s patented and proprietary exosome-based technologies detected actionable mutations in various cancers. The data were presented last week at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain. Exosome Diagnostics is actively developing and plans to launch the industry’s first exosome-based diagnostics in 2015, with an initial focus on tests for lung and other solid tumor cancers, including prostate cancer.

Exosomes are messengers released by all cells into biofluids, such as plasma/serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva. Exosomes contain RNA, including mRNA, microRNA, lncRNA, and other RNA species, as well as DNA and proteins, from their cell of origin. Exosome Diagnostics’ technology platform can achieve real-time access to comprehensive molecular information about cells in the body without direct access to the actual cells. Biofluid exosomes are particularly useful for differential molecular profiling because they are present not only in primary and metastatic cancer but also in inflammatory, metabolic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and other disease processes.

Exosome Diagnostics’ technology demonstrated the ability to use a single capture of both exoRNA and cfDNA from plasma to detect actionable mutations, including KRAS, BRAF, and EGFR, in cancers such as melanoma, colorectal, and lung cancer. In addition, data from a Phase 3 clinical trial cohort in glioblastoma showed that exoRNA profiling from serum utilizing the company’s technology was effective in tracking patients’ treatment response. View a .pdf file of a poster presented by Exosome Diagnostics at the Barcelona conference.