Exiqon A/S, a leading supplier of high-value gene expression analysis products, and Health Research, Inc., Roswell Park Cancer Institute Division, where groundbreaking research by Roswell Park scientists has led to greater understanding of the nature of cancer and to major advances in cancer diagnostics and treatments that are now in use worldwide, today announced that they have signed a Center of Excellence agreement allowing Roswell Park to provide real-time PCR services based on Exiqon’s miRCURY LNA™ Universal RT microRNA PCR product line. The agreement is part of Exiqon’s growing certified service provider program.

LNA™-based microRNA real-time PCR profiling holds great promise as a non-invasive way to discover important new biomarkers for a wide range of diseases and biological processes. The extreme sensitivity obtained by inclusion of LNA™ in the PCR primers allows for the profiling of non-invasive samples like serum and plasma where the quantity of RNA is extremely low.

This microRNA real-time PCR system combines a Universal RT reaction with LNA™-enhanced PCR primers, which results in unmatched sensitivity and specificity for all sample types.

“Roswell Park Cancer Institute has a rich history as a leading cancer center, and is known for its expertise in the areas of genetics and genomics,” says Norma J. Nowak, PhD, Director of the Genomics Shared Resource, “miRNAs have gained prominence in the areas of early detection as well as the potential to serve as prognostic markers. The Exiqon LNA qPCR platform adds great value to the current portfolio of assays that we offer our scientific community. We are excited to be an Exiqon Center of Excellence.”

“We are enthusiastic about Roswell Park Cancer Institute Shared Genomics Resources personnel and facilities becoming a Center of Excellence,” said Henrik M Pfundheller, PhD, SVP, Sales & Marketing, and added: “It is exciting for us to have our miRCURY LNA™ Universal RT microRNA PCR systems as part of their long history of innovation. We encourage microRNA scientists in their area to utilize this interesting coupling of our respective proficiencies.”