Research: Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapy Discussed

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http://www.newsrx.com/article.php?artic ... 052&f=wu22

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Research on small cell lung cancer therapy discussed by M.S. Nordlund and co-researchers

2008 JUN 16 -- Scientists discuss in 'Automated time-resolved immunofluorometric assay for progastrin-releasing peptide' new findings in small cell lung cancer. According to recent research from Oslo, Norway, "Small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 20% of new cases of lung cancer, and advanced disease is prevalent at the time of diagnosis. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) has been the primary tumor marker in small cell lung cancer but it has relatively low sensitivity in early-stage disease."

"Progastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP) is a promising alternative or complementary marker for NSE. We have previously described a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (TR-IFMA) for proGRP that lacked the necessary sensitivity and robustness for use in the routine clinical laboratory. Herein we describe the development of an improved assay using a novel monoclonal antibody pair. Mice were immunized with different conjugated proGRP peptides, including residues 31-98, 1-98, and preproGRP(-23-125). Pair combinations of the resulting monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were tested. The improved TR-IFMA was compared with the only other available proGRP assay, the proGRP ELISA (IBL). A panel of 12 high-affinity mAbs was produced. The best assay combination was between our original E146 mAb as solid-phase antibody and the new mAb M16 as tracer. The new TR-IFMA had a linear dose-response curve, a wide dynamic range (13-13 500 ng/L), and a limit of detection of 2.8 ng/L. Total CV was <5.6% over the whole measuring range. Bland-Altman difference analysis indicated a significant positive bias between the IFMA and the ELISA. We describe a sensitive and robust mAb-based TR-IFMA for proGRP," wrote M.S. Nordlund and colleagues, .

The researchers concluded: "The assay is fully automated and displays high quality performance."

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(NewsRX, June 16, 2008)

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