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Avalon GloboCare's stock soars after positive study on first saliva-based biomarker as a diagnostic for oral cancer

Last updated: 05:04 29 Jan 2019 AEDT, First published: 04:54 29 Jan 2019 AEDT

Researcher in a lab
New Jersey, Avalon, specializes in developing cell-based technologies, but is also involved in the management of stem cell banks and clinical laboratories

Avalon GloboCare Corp (NASDAQ:AVCO) stock rocketed Monday after the cell-based technologies and therapies developer's subsidiary, Genexosome Technologies, announced the development of the first saliva-based biomarker as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for oral cancer.

The company, in collaboration with Beijing Stomatological Hospital, said it completed a study showing that topical application of exosomes released from modified human stem cells with its miR185 can deter the progression of pre-malignant oral leukoplakia to form oral cancer.

Oral leukoplakia, with a prevalence of 2% affecting the population, is a pre-cancerous lesion that indicates “increased risk” for the development of oral cancer.

Avalon Globocare stock shot up 49.4% to $6.32.  

READ: Avalon GloboCare forms US subsidiary Avactis Biosciences to focus on CAR-T cell therapies

"Exosomes are enriched in the tumor microenvironment and growing evidence has demonstrated that exosomes can mediate cancer progression," said Genexosome co-Chief Executive Yu Zhou. "Given the important biological roles played by these nanovesicles in cancer initiation and progression, exosomes and their content can be used as ideal, non-invasive biomarkers in detecting and monitoring tumors as well as therapeutic targets."

In layman’s terms, exosomes are powerful messengers released by cells into biofluids like plasma/serum, urine, and saliva.

Headquartered in Freehold, New Jersey, Avalon specializes in developing cell-based technologies but is also involved in the management of stem cell banks and clinical laboratories.

It also develops proprietary diagnostic and therapeutic products leveraging exosome technology and markets proprietary exosome isolation systems and related products to hospitals.

“We believe our discovery and clinical development of saliva-based exosomal miR-185 will significantly advance the unmet area of “liquid biopsy” and bio-therapeutics in the field of oral cancer,” said Avalon GloboCare CEO David Jim Jin.

 

Contact Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

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