NuView Diagnostics, a subsidiary of NuView Life Sciences, is currently developing the NV-VPAC1TM technology as an in vitro diagnostic kit by attaching a fluorophore to an NV-VPAC1TM peptide that may be used for detecting shed cancer cells in voided urine.

The VPAC1 receptor becomes overexpressed in certain key malignancies including breast, prostate, colon, bladder, and endometrial cancer. Attaching a molecular imaging or therapeutic component to a NV-VPAC1(TM) peptide enables NuView Life Sciences to develop a series of precisely targeted products that may be used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

VIEW PUBLICATIONS ON VPAC1
VIEW PUBLICATIONS ON VPAC1
VIEW PUBLICATIONS ON VPAC1

Every year in the U.S.:  30 million PSAs; 4 million elevated PSAs; 1.8 million tissue biopsies performed; 70% of prostate tissue biopsies are negative

NV-VPAC1TM IN VITRO DIAGNOSTIC AGENT

NV-VPAC1TM in vitro Diagnostic in Prostate Cancer

A urine sample from an at-risk patient can be collected and processed with an NV-VPAC1TM peptide so that any cancer cells expressing the VPAC1 receptor can be visualized microscopically (above). Cancer cells appear as illuminated orange blooms when viewed in a laboratory under a confocal fluorescent microscope via a standard testing method.

There are many factors that can confound the result of a PSA test including i) medical conditions other than prostate cancer that can cause PSA levels to rise including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis, and ii) PSA-lowering factors such as certain drugs used to treat BPH or urinary conditions, large doses of chemotherapy medications, and obesity.

Due to the simple and convenient nature of the NV-VPAC1TM urine screen diagnostic test, it has the potential to complement or replace the PSA test as part of routine screening of prostate cancer, given that the NV-VPAC1TM urine screen diagnostic test specifically tests for the presence of cancer cells that have a very high level of VPAC1 receptor expression.

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men of all races and populations. In 2016, approximately 180,890 men in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and approximately 26,120 men will die from the disease. Approximately 30 million prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests are conducted annually to measure the level of protein produced by cells of the prostate gland.