Problem

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) accounts for over 75% of all epithelial OC and has a high mortality rate due to a lack of early detection methods. Current biomarkers have low sensitivity and specificity in early-stage disease. There is an urgent need for a more effective diagnosis at an early stage to improve survival in a routine-risk population.

Solution

• Identified fifteen differentially expressed exosomal proteins in serum of patients with HGSOC as candidate biomarkers
• The candidate proteins, including CFH, Cyclin E, FAS, IL-6, IL-8, NIDD1, PZP, and STAT3, were subsequently confirmed in HGSOC serum exosomes and compared with CA125 by ELISA, and Proximity extension assay
• Discovered that exosomal proteins CFH, PZP, and STAT3 were able to distinguish between all the comparator groups (control vs early-stage HGSOC, early- vs advanced-stage HGSOC, and control vs advanced-stage HGSOC
• ROC analyses in two cohorts showed several proteins had a high AUC when comparing controls and early-stage HGSOC: AGRIN (0.98), CFH (AUC 0.94), PZP (AUC 0.91 and 0.93), CCNE1 (AUC 0.83), FAS (AUC 0.76 and 0.95), and STAT3 (AUC 0.75 and 0.85)
• The high AUC indicates one or combination of proteins can be used to develop a diagnosis tool for early detection of HGSOC

Applications

• Use the identified exosomal proteins to develop a diagnosis for early detection of HGSOC
• Use exosomal proteins to develop a diagnosis tool for detecting other solid tumors including liver cancer and lung cancer

Advantages

• The diagnostic method provides early detection of high-grade serous ovarian cancer with high accuracy
• Enabling development of effective oncology diagnosis using one or combination of exosomal proteins identified

Seeking opportunities for licensing, collaboration or new venture formation