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 disease-specific 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 GenTel BioSciences, Inc.:
GenTel BioSciences, Inc. is a leader in protein microarray technologies and is known
in the life sciences community for delivering novel multiplex assays. GenTel’s
mission is to be the most successful, trusted and respected provider of proteomic
chip technology, products and services world-wide. www.gentelbio.com
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/
