A KIT FOR EARLY DETECTION OF INVASION AND SPREADING OF MALIGNANT TUMORS

A critical event in malignant tumor development is the acquisition of the ability to invade through basement membranes and reemerge from blood vessels to establish new metastatic colonies at distant sites. The Proteolytically Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1) is preferentially overexpressed in highly metastatic biopsy specimens and is found to play a central role in the malignant and physiological invasion processes. A diagnostic kit, based on PAR1 is being developed. Abrogation and neutralization of the PAR1 gene expression (PAR1 antisense) inhibits markedly the invasive potential of cells, and suggests a therapeutic means targeted to inhibit PAR1. Three patents have been granted in the U.S. and are pending in the national phase worldwide.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. About 1.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2002. The early detection of potential tumor invasion and spreading is critical for determining the treatment strategy and improving the recovery prospects. Approximately 10 million Americans with a history of cancer are alive today and most of them are under clinical follow-up. A patient undergoes an average of three tests per year, therefore, the potential market for the company’s diagnostic products in the U.S. is estimated to be $300 million and worldwide about $750 million.

Experiments in vitro in a collection of cell lines and in vivo in biopsy specimens have identified novel molecular targets belonging to PARs, and assigned primarily PAR1 as a potent cellular probe involved in a wide spectrum of solid tumors. An early detection kit of solid carcinoma invasion and metastasis will be developed based on the wealth of the preliminary data obtained.

The Company is seeking initial investments of $ 0.2-0.4 million.

The inventor is Dr. Rachel Bar-Shavit from Hadassah University Hospital and a member of the Hebrew University. Dr. Bar-Shavit is well known to the scientific community pioneering the field of PARs and epithelial tumor-biology as well as by publications in the field of vascular biology in highly regarded journals. Dr. Bar-Shavit is a member of several honorable scientific societies and received distinguished awards. Dr. Beatrice Uziely, Head of Oncology Ambulatory Services Unit at Hadassah University Hospital is the co-founder of the company. Dr. Uziely is a specialist in Oncology, well trained both in the U.S. and Israel, with extensive experience in conducting clinical protocols and patient care-treatment. Dr. Uziely is a member of several honorable medical societies. InCure Ltd. operates within the framework of the HiTEC Entrepreneurship Center and HADASIT. The R&D work is performed in the laboratories of Hadassah University Hospital.