SEATTLE, Nov. 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoString Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSTG), a provider of life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products, today announced the expansion of its 3D Biology™ portfolio with the commercial launch of the nCounter® PanCancer Profiles, seven new gene expression panels each designed to interrogate a focused area of cancer biology including immuno-oncology. The panels are focused on Adaptive Immunity, Cancer Metabolism, Intracellular Signaling, Cellular Profiling, Wnt Pathway, Innate Immunity, and DNA Damage & Repair. Each 192-gene panel includes 180 topic-specific probes and twelve universal housekeeping genes. These panels may be combined with nCounter protein expression modules to enable a deeper view of biology through simultaneous analysis of gene and protein expression in key areas of interest to cancer biologists including immuno-oncology researchers.
"NanoString is excited to offer the power of 3D Biology technology in a series of focused PanCancer Profiles that enable our customers to measure gene and protein expression simultaneously," said Joseph M. Beechem, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Research & Development at NanoString Technologies. "We believe the power of 3D Biology technology will drive a new frontier of immuno-oncology biomarker discovery and utilization, enabling our customers to become leaders in developing a deeper understanding of the underlying biology and its relevance to cancer immunology."
The new PanCancer Profiles leverage NanoString's new 3D Biology technology, enabling multiplexed digital assays that provide a deeper view of biology through the analysis of multiple analytes at once. Designed for flexibility, these panels can be used as assay development building blocks and may be combined with nCounter protein assays, creating new possibilities for researchers to interrogate both protein and RNA in a single experiment. By providing a menu of focused RNA profiling options, researchers can tailor their assay to meet the needs of their experiments. For example, the 30 protein targets from the Protein Immune Profiling Panel may be added to the nCounter PanCancer Profiles Cancer Metabolism Panel to investigate how the blockade of a growth factor receptor (e.g., anti-HER2/neu) alters tumor cell metabolism while simultaneously measuring downstream activation of innate and adaptive immune cell populations in response to dying tumor cells. Also, the new panels may be customized with up to 24 additional gene expression targets defined by the user. Visit www.nanostring.com/pancancer_profiles to learn more.
At the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) in National Harbor, Maryland, NanoString will be hosting a luncheon seminar entitled "Bringing the next-generation of immuno-oncology biomarkers to the clinic." Dr. Beechem will provide an introduction to NanoString's 3D Biology technology and the new PanCancer Profiles, and Alessandra Cesano, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at NanoString Technologies, will moderate a panel discussion featuring presentations by key opinion leaders from academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The seminar begins Friday, November 6 at 12:30pm ET.
The new PanCancer Profiles build on the success of the company's existing nCounter PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel for gene expression analysis and the recently introduced nCounter PanCancer RNA:Protein Immune Profiling Panel for multi-analyte analysis. Gene expression targets selected for these panels include genes which are representative of topics indicated in the Hallmarks of Cancer, first described in seminal papers by Hanahan and Weinberg (Hanahan, D., and Weinberg, R.A. (2000). Cell 100, 57-70 and Hanahan, D., and Weinberg, R.A. (2011). Cell 144, 646-674). The nCounter Protein Immune Profiling Panel measures immune cell types, cancer antigens, checkpoint blockades and key immune pathway genes for both innate adaptive and humoral immune targets as indicated in the Cancer Immunity Cycle, first described by Chen and Mellman (Chen DS, Mellman I. Immunity. 2013;39:1-10).
About NanoString Technologies, Inc.
NanoString Technologies provides life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products. The company's nCounter Analysis System has been employed in life sciences research since it was first introduced in 2008 and has been cited in over 900 peer-reviewed publications. The nCounter Analysis System offers a cost-effective way to easily profile the expression of hundreds of genes, proteins, miRNAs, or copy number variations, simultaneously with high sensitivity and precision, facilitating a wide variety of basic research and translational medicine applications, including biomarker discovery and validation. The company's technology has also been applied to diagnostic use. The Prosigna Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay, together with the nCounter Dx Analysis System, is FDA 510(k) cleared for use as a prognostic indicator for distant recurrence of breast cancer.
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The NanoString Technologies logo, NanoString, NanoString Technologies, nCounter, 3D Biology and Prosigna are registered trademarks or trademarks of NanoString Technologies, Inc. in various jurisdictions.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the scientific and medical potential of the company's technology to simultaneously profile gene and protein expression, and its ability to enhance the development of new cancer therapeutics in the field of immuno-oncology. Such statements are based on current assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include market acceptance of our products; delays or denials of regulatory approvals or clearances for products or applications; delays or denials of reimbursement for diagnostic products; the impact of competition; the impact of expanded sales, marketing, product development and clinical activities on operating expenses; delays or other unforeseen problems with respect to manufacturing, product development or clinical studies; adverse conditions in the general domestic and global economic markets; as well as the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. NanoString Technologies disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.