Cancer – Time For A New Approach
What is cancer?
According to NIH, Cancer is defined as:
A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues.
While it is easy to understand that definition, it just describes the effects of abnormal cells. It is critical to fully understand what makes the cells abnormal.
At Elsie, we work using a better definition:
Cancer is the result of many genetic and epigenetic changes which give the cell a survival and proliferative advantage.
By some estimates, 80% of the survival and proliferative advantages of cancer are the direct result of epigenetic causes. Epigenetics, the mechanisms that turn genes on or off, is central to cancer.
“It appears that while a combination of mutations and copy number changes determine the type of breast cancer, epigenetic alterations may be the primary initiators of cancer development. Understanding these critical biomarkers and molecular changes will advance our ability to effectively treat breast cancer.”
Anticancer Research
What is the difference between a healthy cell and a cancerous cell?
It is necessary to understand the answer to this question in order to try and fight the disease. At Elsie Genetics, we look deep into the cell to understand the function of cancerous cells down to the gene level. This information allows us to identify and quantify those differences. This knowledge forms the foundation of what we do.
Why is this important?
Knowing how a cancer cell forms and functions is key to a strategy to precisely target the genes responsible for cancer formation and progression. While most treatments today focus on one or two genes, Elsie takes a revolutionary approach to look at well over 100 dysregulated genes that are critical to making a cell a cancer cell.
Why is this approach not more common?
A team of scientists would find it virtually impossible to process millions of research papers to create a complete understanding of the function of a cancer cell. With modern data science tools, we can “read” millions of published research papers to paint a clear picture of cancer. The use of data science and artificial intelligence is making great inroads into health care. Pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily into incorporating this new technology. They are fighting over billions of dollars of drug sales ($133 billion in 2017) and see these new tools as a strategic advantage.
At Elsie, we are committed to bringing this state-of-the-art technology to those looking for non-pharma and less toxic options at a much lower cost.