Monarch LifeSciences LLC Proteomic Technologies Identify and Quantified Promising Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer Cells

INDIANAPOLIS, November 6, 2007 – Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among all gynecological cancers. Most patients with the disease are initially responsive to platinum-based chemotherapy treatments, such as cisplatin, but they eventually relapse and become resistant to additional treatment. To date, the mechanism of drug resistance has remained poorly understood.

In a study led by Dr. Mu Wang, Vice President of Research & Development at Monarch LifeSciences and an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Indiana University School of Medicine, a panel of potential biomarkers of cisplatin resistance has been uncovered from a global quantitative proteomic analysis of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells. The results provide important information to help researchers better understand the underlying mechanism of drug resistance in ovarian cancer.

The findings were published earlier this year in Proteomics-Clinical Applications, and Dr. Wang recently spoke at the Biomarker Discovery Summit in Philadelphia about Monarch's work, which, through analysis of protein changes, discovered biomarkers with cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer cells. His group is now in the process of developing a targeted LifeMarker™ Assay for one of the promising markers.

The research was performed in order to solve a pressing problem in cancer chemotherapeutics. By understanding why platinum-based drug resistance occurs in ovarian cancer, as well as other cancers, this mechanism-based strategy can aid in the discovery of new drug targets and disease diagnostics.

"Ovarian cancer has a high risk of death, and treatment options for many women have been very limited to date," said Dr. Wang. "However, through our research, over 2,000 proteins were identified by mass spec-based technologies from ovarian cancer cells and we have uncovered some valuable information for the better understanding of the mechanism of cisplatin resistance. This research will provide insight on new drug development and ovarian cancer therapies."

In November, Monarch LifeSciences will be exhibiting at the Biomarkers Europe Show in Vienna, Austria and attending the BIO-Europe conference in Hamburg, Germany.

Monarch LifeSciences (www.monarchlifesciences.com) is a contract research organization with expertise in protein biomarker discovery, development and validation. The company applies state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technologies coupled with proprietary sample preparation methods and quantification algorithms to their proteomics services. Their clients include researchers in pharma, biotech and academia around the world. Monarch was formed through BioCrossroads, Indiana's initiative to grow life sciences, along with the state's leading academic and industry organizations such as Eli Lilly and Company, Indiana University, the IU School of Medicine, and Purdue University.

LifeMarker is a trademark of Monarch LifeSciences.