An Epigenomics Approach
To Early Cancer Detection
Cancer is a disease of the genome that misregulates normal cellular development. Our technology measures active biology to identify differences between cancer and healthy cells.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., responsible for one of every five deaths.
For many of these patients, death was not and should not be an inevitable outcome. But, when cancers are not detected until late stages, which is common with cancers of the pancreas and ovaries, treatment options are often limited.
using 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) as a biomarker
An Epigenomics Approach
The ClearNote Health approach to detecting cancer early is anchored in epigenomics by tracking gene activity and changes in cells in the body. Some epigenomic changes involve modifications of the cytosine base in DNA to form 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Our technology can tag and enrich DNA fragments containing 5hmC so that we can sequence these fragments.
By measuring these 5hmC profiles in patients’ blood, we assemble an informative cancer biomarker set using machine learning algorithms. Such biomarkers enable the identification of signals related to pancreatic cancer through DNA derived from dying tumor cells via cell-free DNA (cfDNA).
Unlike other existing methods, our 5hmC-based proprietary technology platform provides deep understanding of the underpinnings of cancer development with unprecedented level of clarity to inform patient diagnosis and treatment. The 5hmC biomarker is sensitive, stable, and precise enough to detect not just the presence of cancer, but to specify the type, distinguishing between cancerous and normal tissues and between different types of cancer. To monitor and measure active biology, we combine machine learning with our proprietary 5hmC biomarker analysis and other biomarker feature sets. Anchored in scientific novelty and fit-for-purpose approach to test development, ClearNote Health enables a fundamentally new early detection method that may detect cancer earlier than established methods.