Madison, WI, USA and Grand Rapids, Michigan – GenTel BioSciences, Inc., and The Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) today announced an exclusive agreement granting GenTel the right to commercialize a novel microarray technology for measuring variations in the glycosylation of proteins.
Glycosylation is the chemical addition of a sugar molecule to a protein after its synthesis. Changes in the glycosylation of proteins are associated with many types of cancer.
The technology uses antibody microarrays to profile changes in glycosylation of proteins captured on the surface of a chip. “This technology could lead to the discovery of diseasespecific alterations in protein glycosylation as well as new diagnostic biomarkers,” says Dr. Brian H. Haab of VARI and inventor of the technology.
According to Dave Van Andel, CEO of VARI, “we are very excited to license our technology exclusively to GenTel. They have demonstrated a clear understanding of the protein microarray market and have a solid plan for commercialization. We believe that their work under this license will further the Van Andel Institute’s mission of having a significant impact on medical science.”
“We intend to offer our customers a unique and powerful new tool that will be useful in diverse areas of glycobiology research,” says Dr. Robert Negm, GenTel’s Vice President of Business Development. GenTel plans to use the technology in combination with its PANDEIA™ system to label serum proteins and probe cancer biomarker-specific antibody arrays to measure both the protein abundance and the degree of protein glycosylation.
About Van Andel Research Institute:
The Van Andel Research Institute conducts biomedical research, with a focus on cancer and Parkinson disease and with an emphasis on translating scientific research results into clinical applications. Van Andel Institute reflects the guiding principles of Jay and Betty Van Andel in its mission, scope, standards and spirit in a manner which has distinguished the organization on a global level. The Institute's goal is to have a world-wide impact on medical science and education by creating national and international branches with the necessary freedom and funding to change its research course according to scientific and educational demand. www.vai.org
