NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF., September 24, 2019 — Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced today the start of a research study to identify and characterize potential early disease markers for cancer diagnostics, cancer progression and treatment resistance.
In partnership with Exosome Sciences, a subsidiary of Aethlon Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEMD), scientists will study exosomes in cancer patients and individuals at high genetic risk for cancer. Exosomes are nanoparticles that are abundantly released from cancer cells and provide a snapshot of a tumor’s genetic and protein cargo, making them important targets for non-invasive liquid biopsies in cancer.
“Liquid biopsies have the potential to facilitate the early detection of cancer and the assessment of the efficacy of potential treatments in real time. This may prove to be a critical tool in our ongoing efforts to help patients with cancer,” said Michael Demeure, M.D., program director of Precision Medicine at Hoag and the principal investigator on the study at Hoag. “Hoag has an active Hereditary Cancer Program that supports a number of individuals and families at high risk of developing cancer and is committed to achieving breakthroughs in the detection of cancer at its earliest possible and most treatable stage.”
“Liquid biopsies are a rapidly developing field of non-invasive tests for patients with and at risk for cancer,” said Timothy Rodell, M.D., CEO of Exosome Sciences and Aethlon Medical, Inc. “Our proprietary exosome diagnostics represent a potentially powerful addition to the liquid biopsy field. This partnership with Hoag may significantly accelerate our development of exosome based liquid biopsies and may provide deep insights into the detection, progression and treatment options for cancer patients and their families. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Demeure and the Hoag team on this project.”
Hoag’s Hereditary Cancer Program and many aspects of its cancer research are supported by philanthropy.
For more information on the research studies and clinical trials at Hoag, visit https://www.hoag.org/specialties-services/other-programs-services/clinical-research/available-clinical-trials/.
ABOUT HOAG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESBYTERIAN
Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 450,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to eight health centers and 11 urgent care centers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the 2019 – 2020 U.S. News & World Report, and Becker’s Healthcare named Hoag as one of the 2018 “100 Great Hospitals in America” – a designation Hoag has received five times. For an unprecedented 23 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.
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