Our Platform

The combination of our proprietary Partial Wave Spectroscopy (PWS) NanocytologyTM platform and field carcinogenesis enables a paradigm shift; we don’t need to examine the tumor itself to stratify an individual’s cancer risk.  We can examine cells at the nanoscale, where mutations and cellular changes can be detected long before they are evident at the microscopic level.

This means that while biopsied cells may appear to be normal to a pathologist using a standard microscope, PWS NanocytologyTM can detect profound changes in the nanoscale architecture of the same cells.

Our technology platform measures the disorder strength of the nanoscale organization of the cell, one of the earliest signs of carcinogenesis and likely a strong and clinically significant biomarker for the presence of cancer. (Scroll down to Field Effect to read why surrogate cells are clinically relevant.)

 

 

With PWS Nanocytology™, we are better able to understand the earliest cellular changes that lead to cancer

Field Effect

The concept of the “field effect” (synonymous with “field carcinogenesis” and “field of injury”) originated in a 1953 study of 783 patients in which the healthy tissue surrounding tumors of the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx the cancer cells displayed abnormalities suggesting a carcinogenic agent had preconditioned the areas.

Over the following six decades, the research community has expanded its understanding of the field effect. Today the  field effect concept is biologically robust and widely used in clinical practice among multiple cancer types.

The field effect suggests that molecular and cellular alterations predispose regions of the body to tumor growth. Preora examines and quantifies these alterations, enabling us to detect the risk of cancer earlier than standard procedures that rely on visualizing cancer cells.

Second, the field effect indicates that cancer risk in certain organs can be determined through genetic changes happening at surrogate anatomical or functional sites. This implies that rather than examining cells in the target organ where it may be difficult to get an adequate sample, we can assess them in other parts of the body through more minimally invasive procedures.

We have demonstrated PWS NanocytologyTM -detectable field-effect alterations associated with seven different cancers:

  • lung
  • colorectal
  • ovarian
  • esophageal
  • prostate
  • pancreatic
  • thyroid

We will utilize the field effect concept to develop screening tests that can become the first step in a two-tiered early-detection approach applicable to almost any organ from which cellular specimens can be obtained by standard brushing or secretion-collection techniques.,

 

Harnessing the Field Effect with PWS Nanocytology

Preora Chairman Vadim Backman explained how the company’s technology capitalizes on the Field Effect during his presentation to the Milken Institute

Field Effect

Research

Over the past decade, Preora’s collaborators (Northwestern University and NanoCytomics, LLC) have had more than 40 research papers published in peer-reviewed journals. These data have informed our goal to help millions of people survive cancer, develop our proprietary Partial Wave Spectroscopy (PWS) Nanocytology™ platform, and sharpen our focus on potential clinical applications.

We are committed to making ongoing contributions to the medical community’s understanding of and appreciation for the science of nanocytology and the potential clinical benefits of our technology platform.

Research Papers and Presentations

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