TAmiRNA and Vivomicx revolutionize drug discovery with cell-type specific microRNA/mRNA analysis protocols

Vienna, Austria: – Biotech innovator TAmiRNA has announced the introduction of new technology to boost the efficiency of preclinical drug discovery and drug development, jointly developed with new collaborators, Netherlands-based Vivomicx.

TAmiRNA & Vivomicx have combined their respective technologies of high sensitivity quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and laser microdissection to enable the quantitative analysis of cell-type specific RNA expression in complex tissues.

Quantifying RNA expression within tumors

Using this protocol, TAmiRNA & Vivomicx have already been able to demonstrate:

• Profound differences in RNA expression between whole tumor and subsets of cells within the tumor
• Large heterogeneity in RNA expression between colorectal tumor compartments such as tumor, stroma and tumor endothelial cells

These studies are merely exemplar; the new technology can be utilized for almost any tissue sample. It is described in more detail in a jointly-produced Service Brochure, Cell-type specific microRNA/mRNA analysis in complex tissues, now available for download (see Resources below).

Superior analysis protocols

“The combination of Vivomicx and TAmiRNA´s proprietary protocols is clearly superior to the current standard where only whole tumor material is analyzed, and marks another step on the road to make the drug development process more efficient and therefore less costly,” commented TAmiRNA CEO, Dr. Matthias Hackl.

The partners believe the new technique will enable clients to gain better understanding of drug mode of actions by analyzing effects of therapeutic interventions on one cell type within the complexity of the tissue.

This in turn should improve the discovery and characterization of lead drug candidates based on enrichment of their targets in specific (tumor) tissue compartments, as well as quantifying drug-target engagement in specific cell types in complex tissue through the screening of downstream effects on gene expression level and characterizing cell-type specific differences between malignant and benign tissue.

Non-invasive microRNA diagnostics

TAmiRNA and Vivomicx also say the new protocols can help identify novel biomarkers for patient selection as well as diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression and drug effects.

TAmiRNA specializes in technologies for profiling levels of blood-circulating microRNAs and developing multi-parametric classification algorithms (“signatures”). TAmiRNA uses these technologies to develop minimal-invasive diagnostic tests for drug development, early diagnosis and prognosis of disease, and as companion diagnostic tests to support treatment decisions.

Meanwhile, Vivomicx has developed validated protocols to analyze preclinical or clinical tissue samples using Laser Dissection Microscopy in combination with Quantitative RT-PCR analysis. This allows the in-depth analysis of gene expression in subsets of cells in the complexity of the in vivo tissue.

“Using this technology we can assess gene expression profiles and therefore the molecular identity of cells; for example whether the target molecule is expressed in the cells of interest in diseased tissue,” explained Vivomicx CSO, Dr. Grietje Molema.

“On top of that, we can determine the true effects of a drug on mRNA expression levels in the cells of interest to assess for instance the effect of your drug in terms of target inhibition or downstream effector modulation,” Dr. Molema added.

About TAmiRNA

Privately owned and headquartered in Vienna, TAmiRNA GmbH is a biotech company specialized in the identification and validation of non-coding RNAs as biomarkers for age-related diseases. The mission of TAmiRNA is to provide clinically useful biomarkers to improve and prolong patient stability, health and quality of life with increasing age.

TAmiRNA specializes in technologies for profiling levels of blood-circulating microRNAs and developing multi-parametric classification algorithms (“signatures”). TAmiRNA uses these technologies to develop minimal-invasive diagnostic tests for early diagnosis and prognosis of disease, or as companion diagnostic tests to support treatment decisions.

TAmiRNA’s pipeline includes developments in osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and cancer, which aim to provide ‘microRNA kit’ solutions that enable users to quantify the levels of specific microRNA combinations and platelet function in serum, plasma, urine or other biofluids. The company initially developed kits for bone disease (osteomiR™) and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (thrombomiRs™).

TAmiRNA also offers contract research services for companies in need of targeted biomarker development. Customers include biopharma companies with drug development programs in human and veterinary medicine, medtech companies and clinical research groups.

More information available at: www.tamirna.com.

About Vivomicx

Vivomicx is a biotechnology company based at Groningen in the Netherlands that is dedicated to advanced molecular pathology and pharmacology; particularly the study of cells in their in vivo (patho) physiological environment.

In October 2006, the commercial entity Vivomicx was registered at the Chamber of Commerce in Groningen as the result of an academic initiative aimed at making the drug discovery process more efficient, grant funded by the Dutch government STW foundation for Technology & Science.

In July 2008 a follow-up project was granted that enabled execution of a proof of concept study in order to further expand application of the Vivomicx technology. This was supported by two leading companies who wished to see clinical compounds tested using Vivomicx technology. This allows prediction of the effects of a new drug on the gene expression profiles of subsets of cells in the organ where the disease is located; either target cells for desired effects of the drug or non-target cells to study side effects of undesired toxicity.

Vivomicx also specializes in identifying real biomarkers for drug efficacy to speed up the development process.

Further information at: http://vivomicx.eu.