Genomill Health and the Future of Colorectal Cancer Monitoring
In a groundbreaking study published in
Scientific Reports, Genomill Health has introduced its novel technology,
Bridge Capture™, which enables sensitive and scalable liquid biopsy applications for colorectal cancer patients. This study provides critical insights into
Bridge Capture™'s efficiency in detecting crucial mutations from blood samples of individuals with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Overview of the Study's Findings
The clinical trial results indicate that
Bridge Capture™ matches the sensitivity of
droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), the gold standard in mutation detection, while also offering an unmatched scalability of panels and a cost-effective workflow. This aspect allows for decentralized next-generation sequencing (NGS) trials, a significant advancement in patient care and monitoring.
Conducted in collaboration with Professor
Ari Ristimäki's team at
Helsinki University Hospital, the study showcased a high level of concordance between
Bridge Capture™,
ddPCR, and
Ion AmpliSeq™ technologies. Notably, it also uncovered previously unidentified oncogenic mutations that mirrored disease progression across longitudinal plasma samples, emphasizing the comprehensive profiling capability of the
Bridge Capture™ approach.
Impact on Cancer Treatment and Monitoring
Professor Ristimäki expressed enthusiasm about the implications of this technology, stating, "
Bridge Capture combines highly scalable and sensitive targeted sequencing with affordability and ease of use. It's a pivotal development that could greatly extend the use of liquid biopsies for treatment monitoring."
Researcher
Simona Adamusová, a key co-author of the study, explained, "This technology has matched or surpassed reference methods in detecting mutations in patient samples. Its capability to track changes over time could provide clinicians with a powerful tool to monitor cancer progression and recurrence."
CEO and co-founder of Genomill,
Manu Tamminen, remarked on the significance of the pilot study stating, "The maturity of
Bridge Capture for practical applications in liquid biopsy is evident. The workflow's unprecedented simplicity along with compatibility with various sequencing platforms lays the groundwork for distributed and decentralized cancer diagnostics. By addressing financial and infrastructural barriers, we aim to make liquid biopsies more accessible to cancer diagnostics."
The technology of
Bridge Capture™ is a manifestation of Genomill's
Geno1® technologies, which utilize circular and linear DNA amplification.
Juha-Pekka Pursiheimo, Genomill's Chief Technology Officer and inventor, emphasized that
Bridge Capture sets a new standard for NGS library design using single-stranded circular DNA, offering a more robust and flexible alternative to traditional linear libraries. Coupled with their DNA amplification approaches that eliminate PCR dependencies, Genomill is positioning itself as an innovator in NGS library preparation.
Conclusion
Overall, the study titled, _“Evaluation of Bridge Capture Technology for Mutation Profiling in Liquid Biopsy of Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer”_, available in
Scientific Reports (link:
Scientific Reports), underscores the potential of
Bridge Capture™ in enhancing cancer treatment and monitoring strategies through its high sensitivity and scalability. As researchers continue to advance our understanding of liquid biopsies, technologies like
Bridge Capture™ could play a pivotal role in redefining how colorectal cancer and other malignancies are monitored in real-time, fostering better treatment outcomes for patients around the world.
For more information about Genomill Health and their revolutionary work, visit
Genomill.