DermTech, Inc., a dermatology company developing non-invasive gene expression tests to aid the clinical diagnosis of skin cancer and other skin conditions, presented their recent work during the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in a study entitled “Melanoma gene expression in adhesive-tape sampled lesions is similar in primary tumors and patient derived xenografts.” (AAD 2015 #1848).
The study compared the genetic profile in patch-sampled melanomas, metastatic melanoma tumor tissue, patient-derived xenograft tissue (pdx) melanomas, and non-melanoma controls. Results validated the company platform Pigmented Lesion Assay in its ability to differentiate melanoma tissue from non-melanoma tissue.
The researchers also found that the gene expression score in adhesive-patch sampled melanomas is highly similar to that seen in metastatic melanoma tumor tissue and pdx melanoma tissue, which supports the hypothesis that RNA isolated from noninvasive adhesive patch samples is derived from the underlying malignant melanoma. This has also validated DermTech’s Adhesive Skin Sample Collection Kit and the surgical biopsy specimens, as the study results indicated the use of pdx melanoma tissue as a reliable proxy for further molecular studies.
John Alsobrook, Ph.D., the study’s lead author commented in a recent news release, “We are pleased to provide further evidence that the Pigmented Lesion Assay can accurately distinguish melanoma tissue from non-melanoma tissue and provide valuable information to physicians to facilitate the surgical biopsy decision.”
DermTech’s Pigmented Lesion Assay has been examined and confirmed in several trials that included more than 600 samples and over 200 melanomas. The poster presentation can be found on the company’s website.
DermTech is a privately held dermatology company that commercializes non-invasive gene expression tests for skin cancer. The company operates a CLIA certified laboratory at its California headquarters. The company’s devices allow the examination of skin samples gathered non-invasively using an adhesive patch rather than a scalpel. The company technology is extremely accurate and provides clinicians with tools that can reduce costs while improving patients’ care.
