Daily Business Report-May 25, 2018
UC San Diego researchers have developed a test to screen for pancreatic cancer in a drop of blood. (Photo by David Baillo/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering)
New Blood Test Rapidly Detects
Signs of Pancreatic Cancer
By Liezel Labios | Jacobs School of Engineering
Pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second deadliest cancer in the United States by 2030. It is tough to cure because it is usually not discovered until it has reached an advanced stage. But a new diagnostic test developed by researchers at UC San Diego shows promise for detecting the disease earlier.
The test, which is at the proof-of-concept stage, can rapidly screen a drop of blood for biomarkers of pancreatic cancer. It can provide results in less than an hour. The findings were published recently in the journal ACS Nano.
“An important step towards being able to cure diseases that come out of nowhere, like pancreatic cancer, is early detection,” said first author Jean Lewis, an assistant project scientist in the Department of Nanoengineering at UC San Diego. “We envision that in the future, physicians might perform this type of test using a quick finger stick to diagnose patients who may not know they have the disease yet.”
Blood tests for early cancer detection, known as liquid biopsies, are a hot topic in research. They have the potential to detect cancer early on without having to do invasive surgical procedures like tumor biopsies. To screen for pancreatic cancer in the blood, researchers are developing new methods that involve collecting and analyzing nano-sized biological structures called exosomes, which are released from all cells in the body, including cancer cells. Exosomes contain proteins and genetic material that can serve as biomarkers for detecting cancers.
But because exosomes are so tiny and fragile, they are hard to isolate from blood. Current methods to extract exosomes are time-consuming and require that blood samples be pretreated or diluted prior to use.
The test developed by UC San Diego researchers uses an electronic chip-based system to extract exosomes directly from blood in minutes. “We can use just a drop of blood as is—no extra processing required,” said Lewis. “We can also analyze the exosomes right there on the spot and show whether they carry any of the cancer biomarkers we are looking for.”
Lewis worked on this project as part of a cross-disciplinary collaboration between nanotechnology researchers at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and clinicians at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. The collaboration is led by Michael Heller, professor emeritus of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, who is now at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute.
“The innovation of this work is that it essentially combines all the complex, lengthy steps of sample preparation, exosome isolation and final assay interpretation required by other platforms into one seamless ‘sample-to-answer’ device,” said Heller. “We’ve developed a prototype platform that has the potential to translate into a handheld, rapid and relatively inexpensive point of care testing device for pancreatic cancer.”
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Torrey Del Mar Plaza Sells for $6.5 Million
Torrey Del Mar Plaza, a single-level, strip shopping center located in Torrey Highlands in San Diego, has been sold for $6.5 million to a local private investor. Carmel Valley Plaza LLC was the seller.
Located at 13857-13859 Carmel Valley Road, the two-building property, developed by Frank and Gary Anderson, totals 10,008 square feet and is 100 percent occupied. There are eight service-type tenants including a dentist, yoga studio, dry cleaners and animal hospital.
CBRE Retail Investments represented the seller. The buyer was represented by Jason Richards.
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Lecture Series Explores Impacts
of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate in the USD School of Business will host the next breakfast June 6 in the next BMC Lecture Series on the topic: “Corporate and Individual Impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and How to React to it.”
A panel of speakers will address: summary of select provisions; relevant case studies; how to qualify for certain benefits; examples of savings and impacts on variou stakeholders. Panelists are Russell Broadway, tax account leader, EY; James Gergurich, tax principal, KPMG; and Cory Grant, founder and partner, Grant Hinkle and Jacobs Inc.
The event will be held from 7 to 9:30 a.m. at Torrey Pines, Illumina Theatre, 10997 Torreyana Road, San Diego 92121. Admission is $90. Click here for registration.
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Epigen Biosciences Licenses Program
to Novo Nordisk for up to $200 Million
San Diego-based Epigen Biosciences Inc. has entered into a collaboration to license its LPA1 Receptor small molecule program to Novo Nordisk for up to $200 million.
Novo Nordisk has licensed the LPA1 receptor antagonist EPGN696 for development in diabetic and chronic kidney disease and other chronic diseases associated with metabolic syndrome. EPGN696 is an orally available, selective LPA1 receptor antagonist. In preclinical testing, EPGN696 demonstrated efficacy and safety in rodent models of kidney disease by targeting fibrosis, inflammation and growth factor responses.
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(W)right On Communications Moves to La Jolla
(W)right On Communications has moved its local head office into new quarters overlooking La Jolla Cove after 10 years in its former Solana Beach location. Its new address is 1200 Prospect St., Suite G100, La Jolla.
“We’re a short drive from both North County and downtown San Diego for convenient access to our local clients, while also providing an attractive office location for their agency meetings,” said Julie Wright, (W)right On Communications’ president. “It’s also an exceptional setting for our team with great shopping and dining right outside the front door and one of the world’s most beautiful marine areas outside of their windows.”
The office is equipped with a pair of bicycles and kayaks to encourage the team to enjoy their land and sea surroundings.
o celebrate the move, the (W)right On Communications team will participate in San Diego Coastkeeper’s June 9 La Jolla Shores beach cleanup at Kellogg Park. Additional volunteers are welcome and pre-registration is not required. For more, visit www.sdcoastkeepers.org.
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Personnel Announcements
Pro Back Office Announces New Partners
Pro Back Office announces the addition of two new partners of the firm, Greg Leiser and Francesca San Diego. Francesca San Diego, vice president of finance, and Greg Leiser, vice president of service delivery will provide additional leadership to the fast growing company.
Greg Leiser has more than 20 years of experience as a CFO in both public and privately held companies. He has facilitated or had a role in going-public transactions, secondary offerings and private placements. Leiser has performed in a lead role for nine business sale transactions including: advising on deal structures, managing the diligence process, and closing a $5 million financing round.
Francesca San Diego has almost 30 years of experience in finance and business management in a wide range of organizations, including three start-up ventures. Her areas of expertise include financial oversight, strategic planning and business development. Her experience includes key financial positions at Sony and The Wherehouse, serving as CFO of an Internet start-up and CFO and COO of a global entertainment business where she had full P&L responsibility.
Pro Back Office was founded in 2012 by Mike Ford and Jennifer Barnes to provide accounting, finance and strategic consulting services.
