East Montgomery Times

Fox Chase Cancer Center's Cancer Epigenetics Institute (CEI) is set to present its latest findings at a biomodal-sponsored workshop during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago from April 25-30. The presentation will reveal new insights into epigenetic mechanisms related to DNA repair and rearrangements, crucial for understanding the role of epigenetic changes in cancer.

biomodal's duet multiomics solution, evoC, enables comprehensive genomic analyses by facilitating simultaneous sequencing of genetic and epigenetic bases. This method examines 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), providing insights into both stable and dynamic biological processes. A member of CEI emphasized the importance of understanding both genetic and epigenetic information to comprehend normal and diseased states.

Changes in DNA methylation such as 5mC were highlighted as critical epigenetic alterations in cancer, potentially leading to new therapeutic developments. "Thus, it is easy to imagine that novel therapeutic approaches will be built on this deeper understanding of cancer epigenetics afforded by combined knowledge of 5mC and 5hmC patterns," said Bellacosa.

Donna McDade Walker, PhD from biomodal, noted the strategic collaboration's impact on disease mechanism understanding. "Additional studies we are undertaking together are expected to further advance the utility of 6-base genomic data in translational work in cancer epigenetics."

The collaboration, described as a bridge from computational discussion to data, aids in comparing crucial genetic and epigenetic information. Whetstine, Director of CEI at Fox Chase, emphasized the collaborative nature of the partnership, which aims to answer high-impact questions through novel technologies.

Peter Jones, PhD, underscored the institute's role in connecting basic science to translational applications via industry partnerships. The partnership with biomodal comprises four projects, addressing genome stability, nucleic acid methylation changes, and epigenomic changes through new therapies.

biomodal focuses on delivering life-science technologies enabling more comprehensive analyses of genomic data. "Our single-base-resolution, resolved sequencing approach unlocks the combinatorial power of genetic and epigenetic information in one workflow," the company stated. The presentation session is scheduled for April 27 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST.