On April 30, 2020 BostonGene Corporation, a biomedical software company focused on defining optimal precision medicine-based therapies for cancer patients, reported it has expanded its research collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis to study renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (Press release, BostonGene, APR 30, 2020, View Source [SID1234556862]).
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This collaboration will evaluate the role tumor microenvironment in RCC progression and treatment response for early stage, as well as metastatic RCC patients treated with approved immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and targeted agents. As part of this program, BostonGene will perform integrated analysis of multi-platform data generated by multiplex immunofluorescence microscopy (MxIF), whole exome sequencing (WES), whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), single nuclei RNA-seq (snRNA-seq), whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), cytometry (CyTOF) and conventional clinical tests like tumor PD-L1 expression, blood cell count and biochemistry.
BostonGene’s software uses a set of unique deconvolution algorithms that reveal cellular content of a tumor and surrounding microenvironment using transcriptome next generation sequencing (NGS) data. Addition of the image analysis component elucidates cellular architecture and spatial localization of tumor, immune and stromal cells. High concordance observed among these technologies suggests that tumor NGS analysis involving WES/RNAseq using BostonGene analytical tools may be utilized for treatment decision support and can be clinically applicable for ccRCC.
Although some RCC patients respond to targeted or immunotherapies, treatment support tools that allow better prediction of response, remain an unmet need. BostonGene’s comprehensive analysis of RCC tumors and their microenvironment brings an optimal personalized solution predicting the benefits of a particular treatment regime based on the integrated analysis of NGS, imaging and other molecular-level data collected from a primary tumor, metastatic sites and circulating blood.
"We’re collaborating with BostonGene to evaluate how its technology, which includes the integrated analysis of NGS and Multiplex immunofluorescence imaging, can be applied to help make treatment decisions for individual patients with renal cell carcinoma and ultimately improve patient outcomes," said James Hsieh, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis.
"We are excited to expand our partnership with Washington University to develop personalized solutions for kidney cancer patients by integrating molecular and clinical information about the individual patient disease with prior knowledge base accumulated from patients with similar diagnosis," said Andrew Feinberg, President & CEO at BostonGene.