The only real cure for cancer is early detection.
The human body is a miracle made up of 37.2 trillion cells, dying and regenerating everyday.
But one malignant cell can disrupt the functioning of this wonder and cause a life threatening disease – CANCER!
With existing technology, more than 50% of cases are detected at stage 3 and stage 4 resulting in *upto 10% of people can enter in the High Risk Zone of getting cancer.
From tissue biopsies to PET Scans to mammographies and colonoscopies, all tests available to us today are either late stage or organ specific.
PET scans are able to reliably detect tumour only when it is more than a cubic centimeter in size Which is what has made cancer a late stage disease.
Our Technology
It is still not clear how cancer initiates despite several decades of research. More than 20 theories have been put forth to explain cancer initiation- main being the Somatic Mutation Theory which suggests that mutations in the driver genes eventually leads to cancer initiation. But it is now abundantly clear that cancer may not be a genetic disease. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have also been suggested to initiate cancer and responsible for metastasis and recurrence since 1937. But there is no consensus yet on the true identity of these CSCs and whether they are transformed tissue-resident stem cells or arise by dedifferentiation and reprogramming of differentiated cells. The breakthrough technology developed by Epigeneres is based on the assumption that very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), residing in multiple tissues, undergo epigenetic changes and get transformed into CSCs. In cancer patients, the CSCs from impacted organ in the body get mobilized into circulation in increased numbers and can be detected by the HrC test developed by Epigeneres Biotech Pvt Ltd.
Unique features of HrC test include (i) it is a Pan-cancer screening test based on a liquid biopsy implying that conceptually it will detect all types of cancers in the body using a simple, non-invasive approach (ii) CSCs get mobilized at very initial stage of cancer development unlike CTCs and ctDNA which are detected only when the tumor becomes PET positive. It is crucial to detect and treat cancer early in order to Win the War against cancer and achieve the Moonshot recently reignited by USA President Biden which aims to reduce cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years and improve quality life of cancer survivors. India is also faced with a sizable cancer incidence burden, which continues to grow exponentially. Rajan Badwe, Director TMH Hospital stresses on developing effective screening and prevention strategies. Ashok Kakkar, Chair, FICCI Task Force on Cancer Care has stressed on cancer prevention, early diagnosis and widespread public awareness. HrC test has the potential to meet all these objectives and help reduce the cancer burden.
About HrC
HRC detects cancer using genetic markers, not at the tumour cell level, but at the seed stage i.e, cancer stem cell level.
This is able to leverage the 18 month window between occurrence of genetic mutations and tumour formation.
HRC tests for proliferation of cancer cells and hence determines cancer absence or likelihood of presence (from negligible to high)
This critical discovery utilizes peripheral blood and is non-intrusive unlike tissue biopsies.
Consequently, the detection of cancer at stage zero, improves the
● Cost of treatment
● Time of treatment and
● Chances of survival significantly.
With this, we are at the cusp of a major scientific revolution and a global breakthrough in early detection of cancer.
Our article in Stem Cell magazine
Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells Transform Into Cancer Stem Cells and are Novel Candidates for Detecting/Monitoring Cancer by a Simple Blood Test
Our nutraceuticals business
Our nutrigenomics vertical specialises in molecular diagnostics and nutraceutical management for overall health and well-being. We design and develop nutraceutical formulations to serve as a supplementary therapy for overall health and wellness, and specific conditions such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, gut-health and boosting respiratory health. We are also working towards developing a molecule with anti-cancer properties.
The overall goal of the company is to provide personalized nutritional regimens for the evolved customer by:
● Performing non-invasive blood-based genetic testing to identify medical conditions
● Performing pathway analysis to identify specific mechanistic underpinnings of the medical condition
● Provide nutritional support via nutraceuticals (phytochemicals) to improve patient outcomes & ameliorate symptoms based on pathway analysis linked to human diseases
● Develop formulations with enhanced bioavailability and efficacy
