This technology is a method for determining the presence or absence of head and neck cancer through the detection of cancer-associated proteins on extracellular vesicles isolated from patients.
Current diagnostic tools for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are limited in their usefulness for detecting the disease due to low sensitivity, low specificity, and long turnaround times. These limitations contribute to 60% of patients with HNSCC being diagnosed with late-stage cancer. As such, there is a significant need for a simple, specific assay for the early detection of head and neck cancer.
This technology identifies the occurrence of HNSCC by analyzing the proteomic landscape of extracellular exosomes (EVs) isolated from bodily fluid samples. Specifically, this assay detects the appearance of proteins uniquely enriched in tumor-derived extracellular vesicles. The positive identification of one or several of these cancer-specific proteins on isolated EVs indicates the presence of head and neck cancer.
Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, DDS, MPH, PhD, MS
Patent Pending (WO/2022/226391)
IR CU21332
Licensing Contact: Beth Kauderer