GeneNews launches world's first blood test for colorectal cancer...( TORONTO July 21 / GeneNews Limite...)

TORONTO, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - GeneNews Limited (TSX: GEN), a company focused on developing blood-based biomarker tests for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, today announced the launch of ColonSentry(TM), the world's first blood-based molecular test for colorectal cancer screening. ColonSentry(TM) is a blood test that assesses a patient's current risk of having colorectal cancer, identifying those in the asymptomatic general population with increased risk who might benefit from further more invasive diagnostic testing such as colonoscopy. This risk stratification approach allows for a more targeted application of colonoscopy which could increase the detection rate of colorectal cancer by as much as 3 fold in an asymptomatic general population. The test requires a simple blood sample. The mRNA expression of a panel of seven specific genes is measured at the molecular level by quantitative RT-PCR which results in an assessment of the patient's current risk. ColonSentry will be performed at the Company's laboratory facilities in Richmond Hill, Canada and is the first in a series of blood-based molecular tests based on the company's platform technology, the award-winning Sentinel Principle(TM).

"Each year thousands of Canadians die from colorectal cancer, the number two cause of death among all cancers in both men and women. This is a tragedy because colorectal cancer is a preventable and curable disease, but only when detected early," said Dr. Lawrence Cohen, Director of Gastroenterology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. "The launch of ColonSentry(TM) represents a leap forward in the way we currently screen for colorectal cancer. The test determines whether patients have an increased risk of having colorectal cancer. By using this risk assessment tool as the first step in a regular screening program, information obtained with ColonSentry(TM) w
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