Nucleosomics^TM

Is a platform for non-invasive (blood) tests for early cancer diagnosis based on epigenetic signal changes associated with malignancy.

The control of gene expression is determined by a number of different epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. Paramount amongst these is the chromatin environment surrounding the gene and key covalent modifications (including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation and others) to the histone proteins associated with the nucleosomes of the gene. This is often referred to as the histone code.

Disruption of the normal histone code is associated with aberrant gene expression and malignant transformation and these alterations are the basis of Nucleosomics.

Nucleosomics is non-invasive. Intact nucleosomes derived from tumour chromatin are found in the blood of cancer patients, but not in healthy individuals. These cell free nucleosomes can be analyzed for global histone code modifications that are characteristic of cancers. The presence in the blood of nucleosomes associated with particular global histone modifications is diagnostic of cancers.