Woburn, MA, May 7, 2001
AlphaGene, Inc. today announced the discovery in
prostate tissue of a novel member of the human
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) subgroup, AG128375.
The discovery of this novel antigen may provide more
reliable marker for prostate cancer than the
prostate specific antigen (PSA). Other CEA subgroup
members can be measured in both serum and tissue and
are used as biomarkers for colon cancer. The CEA
proteins are known to be highly expressed in tumor
cells and play a role in metastasis in humans.
In the United States, according the American Cancer
Society (ACS), prostate is the second most common
cancer among men and the second leading cause of
cancer death. The ACS estimates during 2001
approximately 198,100 new cases of prostate cancer
will be diagnosed in the United States and 31,500
will die from the disease. One man in six will be
diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime,
but only one man in 30 will die of this disease. If
detected at an early stage before it metastasizes,
this cancer is potentially curable. The need for
reliable, early stage marker is paramount to
combating the disease.
"The finding of this CEA validates the richness
of the AlphaGene human cDNA database. We are very
excited to find another novel gene that may play a
major role in a devastating disease. We are seeking
and welcome partners for a cooperative research and
development project using our novel CEA
molecule." stated Donald J. McCarren, Ph.D.,
President and CEO of AlphaGene, Inc.
"As we mine our inventory, we continue to find
important disease related genes," said Peter A.
Schad, Ph.D., AlphaGene's Vice President and Chief
Scientific Officer. "The finding of a novel CEA
may lead us to a new family or splice variants that
play a key role in cancer."
About AlphaGene, Inc.
AlphaGene, Inc. (http://www.alphagene.com)
is a privately held functional genomics company
offering products and services to biotech and
pharmaceutical companies engaged in drug discovery and
development. AlphaGene uses its large inventory of
full-length cDNAs and Bioinformatics expertise to
bridge the gap between genomics and functional
proteomics. The company focuses on differential gene
expression in degenerative neurological diseases
including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
Diseases.
