This technology is a method for generating aptamers that target specific regions of immunoglobulins, which can be used to detect minimal residual disease related to multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma (MM) impacts at least 130,000 patients worldwide and occurs when plasma cells multiply and generate abnormal immunoglobulins. With no cure for the disease, patients are monitored for symptoms and minimal residual disease (MRD). MRD is generally detected from bone marrow aspirates using multiparametric flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing of plasma cells. However, these current methods cannot detect MRD outside of the bone marrow and are not ideal because of the invasiveness and pain involved in bone marrow collection.
This technology describes a method for generating high-affinity aptamers that selectively bind to patient-specific regions of immunoglobulin proteins for detection of MM disease status. When used in state-of-the-art serum assays, these aptamers detect immunoglobulins with >2000-fold more sensitivity than standard methods and can be targeted to multiple epitopes, thereby enabling detection of potential clonal evolution. Furthermore, this patient-specific method can be adapted for use in non-specialized clinical settings. As such, this technology offers a cost-effective, efficient, and noninvasive method for monitoring MRD in MM patients.
This technology has been validated using serum samples from human patients.
IR CU20280
Licensing Contact: Jerry Kokoshka