Arcis Biotechnology announced its success in winning £160,000 from Innovate UK’s Biocatalyst programme to fund a new research programme into extracting and stabilising ribonucleic acid (RNA) direct from urine to help clinical diagnostic testing. The funding will be used to assess the technical feasibility of extracting and stabilising RNA direct from urine, for use in biomarker-based clinical diagnostic assays and will be awarded over a 12 month period.
RNA is inherently susceptible to degradation, making sample collection and storage near impossible, whether collecting from a remote location or for home testing. Arcis Biotechnology has developed a procedure to simplify RNA extraction and stabilise the RNA pool for up to 26 days.This project seeks to explore the feasibility of adapting this process to extract and stabilise RNA direct from urine.The process could then be applied to develop a kit for home sample collection and transfer to a clinical laboratory, to test for prostate and bladder cancers, amongst other conditions.
RNA sequences expressing altered proteins are potentially useful as diagnostic markers, and may be quantified using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qrtPCR). However, primarily due to the difficulties associated with storage and degradation, the use of RNA quantification for disease diagnosis for some cancers, particularly prostate cancer, has previously been limited due to the necessity for the patient to be in close proximity to the equipment.
Dr Jan Rogers, CSO, Arcis Biotechnology, commented: “The ability to validate and use RNA biomarkers for clinical diagnostics is potentially game-changing, and being able to extract and store RNA from urine samples would offer clinicians a simple, minimally invasive diagnostic procedure. We are delighted that Innovate UK has identified the potential opportunity provided by our RNA extraction and stabilisation technology.”
Calculus Capital has invested £3.25m in Arcis Biotechnology. Calculus Deputy Chief Executive Robert Davis said: “The funding from Innovate UK is proof of the expertise and market potential of Arcis and will help support the development of more ground-breaking technology. Arcis is one of many exciting technology companies that we have helped to grow – and we are pleased to see the Prime Minister meeting Britain’s technology entrepreneurs.