NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Molecular diagnostics firm IntegraGen said today that it is collaborating with Cancer Research UK to validate a microRNA as a biomarker for the prediction of progression-free survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have received anti-EGFR therapy.
According to the company, recent data from researchers at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research show that expression of the miRNA, called miR-31-3p, in primary tumor samples is associated with anti-EGFR response in KRAS wild-type patients with the disease who have been treated with EGFR inhibitors.
In collaboration with researchers from Cancer Research UK, who have investigated the use of anti-EGFR antibodies in KRAS wild-type patients with colorectal cancer, IntegraGen will further investigate the expression of miR-31-3p in both primary and metastatic tumors to determine its ability to predict patient outcomes.