Leveraging the power of the epigenome to enable precision medicine

The last decade has seen an explosion in the application of precision medicine strategies in the life science industry, from drug development to clinical trial design. The ability to use molecular tools to identify patients who are more or less likely to respond to therapeutic intervention has tremendous commercial, social, and economic benefits. While several approaches using different molecular measurement techniques have been historically used with different levels of success, one that has gained particular traction in recent years is the assessment of epigenomic changes.

The packaging of chromosomal DNA plays a critical role in the epigenetic regulation of the whole genome. It ensures effective storage, access to genetic information and its regulation by the complex protein machinery utilized in gene expression. Known also as ‘gene loops’, ‘long-range chromosomal interactions’ and ‘chromatin domains’, chromosome conformations have been recognized as an essential high-level framework of epigenetic regulation imposed across the whole genome.

Oxford Biodynamics PLC (LON:OBD) was spun out from Oxford University in June 2007 with the aim of translating fundamental scientific advances into a commercialised platform technology and a new generation of biomarkers for cancer, ALS and other diseases.

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