Project title: EARLY DETECTION OF INVASION AND SPREADING OF MALIGNANT TUMORS

Company name : INCURE LTD.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD
Biotechnology

KEY WORDS
Malignant Tumors, Detection,
Vascular Biology

PROJECT SUMMARY
A critical event in malignant tumor development is the
acquisition of the ability to invade through basement membranes
and then reemerge from the blood vessels to establish new
metastatic colonies at distant sites. The PAR1 (Proteolytically
Activated Receptor-1) ligand is preferentially overexpressed in
highly metastatic biopsy specimens and is found to play a central
role in the malignant and physiological invasion processes in
several cancers. Abrogation and neutralization of the PAR1 gene
expression (the PAR1 antisense) markedly inhibits the invasive
potential of cells, and suggests a therapeutic means targeted to
inhibit the PAR1 ligand. InCure is currently focusing on
developing a gene diagnostic test for breast and colon cancer

MARKET
InCure plans to focus its research on the development of a test
for the detection of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second
most common form of cancer in women. Both its cause and its cure
remain undetermined. Based upon current life expectancy for women
in the U.S., one out of eight women will develop breast cancer in
her lifetime. In 2003, it is estimated that 211,300 new cases of
female invasive breast cancer (cancer that has spread to nearby
tissue) and 55,700 cases of in situ breast cancer (noninvasive
cancer) will be diagnosed, and 39,800 women will die from the
disease. Approximately 10 million Americans with a history of
cancer and over 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive today
and most of them are under clinical follow-up. It is forecast
that a patient undergoes an average of three tests per year, and
therefore, the potential market for the company's diagnostic
products in the U.S. alone is estimated to be over US $200
million.

ENTREPRENEURS
Dr. Rachel Bar-Shavit - Ph.D., Head of Tumor Cell
Signaling Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medicine &
Cancer Research and Department of Oncology at Hadassah University
Hospital, pioneers the field of PARs and epithelial tumor
biology, publications in the field of vascular biology, a member
of several honorable scientific societies, laureate of
distinguished awards.
Dr. Beatrice Uziely - Ph.D., Head of
Oncology Ambulatory Services Unit at Hadassah University
Hospital, extensive experience in conducting clinical protocols
and patient care-treatment, a member of several honorable medical
societies.

PROJECT STATUS
Experiments in vitro in a collection of cell lines and in vivo in
biopsy specimens have identified novel molecular targets
belonging to PARs, and assigned primarily PAR1 as a potent
cellular probe involved in a wide spectrum of solid tumors. An
early detection kit of solid carcinoma invasion and metastasis
will be developed based on the wealth of the preliminary data
obtained.
Three patents have been granted in the U.S. and are pending in
the national phase worldwide.
InCure Ltd. operates within the framework of the Van Leer
Technology Center and HADASIT. The R&D work is performed in the
laboratories of Hadassah University Hospital.

COOPERATION REQUIRED
The Company is seeking initial investments of US $0.2-0.4 million
to complete optimization of the diagnostic kit.

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