Ezose Sciences is teaming up with Hirosaki University in Japan on a glycomics collaboration to identify biomarkers for predicting and monitoring the progression of prostate and other urological cancers. Ezose will evaluate serum and urine samples collected by Hirosaki’s clinical investigators from well-characterized patient and control populations in Japan using its GlycanMap® technology platform. The firm retains exclusive rights to develop and commercialize new biomarkers resulting from the collaboration. “Given the already-established clinical utililty of glycan-based biomarkers in certain cancers, we believe that further studies in oncology hold promise for identifying other novel biomarkers that could help guide clinical practice,” comments Hidehisa Asada, Ph.D., vp for R&D at New Jersey-based Ezose.
The firm’s GlycanMap automated platform for the high-throughput analysis of glycans combines its BlotGlyco® glycoblotting separation technology with its SwetBlot® automated glycan sample-processing technology, MALDI-MS quantitative detection, and analysis software to generate qualitative and quantitative results. The firm offers glycomics capabilities spanning glycan analytics and biomarker discovery to diagnostic development and commercialization, through both collaborative projects and fee-for-service deals.