“Gene scanning technology has the potential to change the landscape of cancer research and to open the door to a new generation of diagnostics, prognostics and therapeutics for cancer patients.”

Dr Thomas Kelly, Director, Sloan-Kettering Institute

One in three people will develop cancer during their lifetime. Cancer is not one disease, but many; there are probably several hundred types and sub-types of cancer. Genes and their related proteins determine how aggressive a cancer is and how it responds to treatment, so understanding a cancer’s genetic makeup is key to better diagnosis and treatment. We’re helping cancer researchers at the world-renowned Sloan- Kettering Institute identify the unique ‘genetic fingerprints’ of cancers, using RNA interference techniques and our IN Cell Analyzer 3000 cellular screening system.

The goal of this two-year research collaboration is to develop the world’s first technology capable of scanning the entire human genome in just one day, to analyse the function of each of the body’s 35,000 genes in a cellular process. The scientists at Sloan-Kettering will use the novel technique known as RNA interference to ‘silence’ or switch off each gene, one at a time, in a sample of cancer cells. Then, using the IN Cell Analyzer and its proprietary fluorescent assays, they will observe and measure the impact of silencing the target gene on the cell culture – to find out, for example, whether the designated gene triggers or suppresses cell growth. The IN Cell Analyzer 3000 has the high throughput cellular screening capability to make this project possible.

This innovative technology is also being used by pharmaceutical and biotech companies to test and screen new drug candidates. It allows researchers to evaluate directly, in real time and with very high speed and resolution, the biological changes that occur when a potential new drug enters a living cell. This powerful screening tool is especially useful for eliminating unsuitable compounds early in the development process – by weeding out candidates that have a toxic effect, for example – before time and money are wasted on developing drugs that would later fail for safety reasons.

The purpose-built IN Cell Analyzer 3000 has now been joined by the IN Cell Analyzer 1000, a modular, highly flexible bench-top system especially designed for use in research laboratories. This will allow a broader research community to experience how IN Cell can help them achieve what we describe as, ‘Drug discovery at the speed of life.’

The Discovery Systems business area of Amersham Biosciences feeds advances in functional biology and diagnostics. We provide high throughput systems and stand-alone consumables for the study of genes, proteins and cellular processes, enabling customers in research and industry to speed up the discovery and development of new drugs.