Identifying molecules that are specific to tumors for use in early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy is both a primary goal and a key discovery challenge across diverse areas of oncology. To discover tumor-specific molecules, Isommune has developed custom bioinformatics algorithms to analyze transcriptome sequencing data to identify candidate tumor-specific mRNA isoforms and a separate computational and wet lab infrastructure for high-throughput RT–qPCR validation of candidate isoforms. Our process reveals multiple candidate diagnostic and therapeutic targets with unique sequences that are expressed in many tumor instances but not in normal tissues. Isommune is in the process of applying its discovery process to much of the transcriptome sequencing data that now exists worldwide. The results of our analyses will be the identity of mRNA isoforms that will form the basis of multiple therapeutic development efforts. The therapeutic efforts will be based on tumor-specific mRNA isoforms that encode tumor-specific protein isoforms that are suitable targets for monoclonal antibodies or that can be used in anti-cancer peptide vaccines.
