ST. LOUIS — Canopy BiosciencesTM, LLC, a leading provider of gene editing and personalized medicine technologies, announced today that it has launched two novel services for immuno-oncology and neurodegenerative disease. Both services allow researchers to assess the expression of nearly 800 disease-relevant genes in a single sample.
The new Neuropathology service allows researchers to conduct an in-depth examination of the mechanisms behind devastating neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and Alzheimer’s Disease. The service is a multiplexed assay that elucidates the expression of 770 established neuropathology genes per sample and measures the abundance of cell types. The service provides researchers a comprehensive assessment of neurodegenerative pathways, aiding in the discovery of new therapeutics for these devastating illnesses.
The second new service will assist the growing field of Immuno-Oncology, which has grown aggressively since the FDA approved the first “checkpoint” inhibitor for patients with Melanoma in 2011. With the PanCancer IO 360 Gene Expression service, researchers can examine the expression of 770 genes, including vital components involved in the complex interplay between the tumor, microenvironment, and immune response in cancer. Included is the 18-gene Tumor Inflammation Signature, published by Ayers et al. 2017, which can be used to identify potential responders to popular immunotherapy drugs, such as PD-1 inhibitors. Both services are performed on the NanoString nCounter platform.
Edward Weinstein, PhD, CEO of Canopy Biosciences, said “These two new services give researchers access to remarkable amounts of information on their research samples. They can very quickly identify dysregulated pathways, identify novel biomarkers, and potential drug targets. We are pleased to be able to bring these exciting technologies to a broader audience of researchers.”
Canopy’s NanoString service is ordered through a simple, web-based tool. In addition to these two new services, Canopy offers services across more than 20 other gene panels, and gives researchers the option to customize panels as well.