Restalyst develops liver cancer detection kit

Singapore biomedical firm Restalyst has developed a patented screening kit for the detection of a type of liver carcinoma called Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

HCC occurs in people infected with the Hepatitis B and C viruses and can also occur when the liver is damaged owing to excess consumption of alcohol.

Named as the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recombinant Antigen-Antibody Detection kit (HCC-REAAD), it operates employing the Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa) test which uses antibodies to target a specific biomarker of the disease.

"By developing in-vitro diagnostics like HCC-REAAD, which has a high-sensitivity and specificity, we hope that more cases will be found at an earlier stage."

The HCC-REAAD test can accurately detect IGFBP2 biomarker, which increases in concentration in the blood of a person suffering from HCC.

The HCC-REAAD kit has been developed basing on a patented technology by Professor Hsieh Sen Yung from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

Restalyst CEO Zaccheus Peh said: "The conventional method of detecting liver carcinoma is not good enough and many cases are picked up too late.

“By developing in-vitro diagnostics like HCC-REAAD, which has a high-sensitivity and specificity, we hope that more cases will be found at an earlier stage.

“At Restalyst, we believe in developing diagnostics to improve the efficacy of diagnosis so as to allow for earlier detection, treatment and indirectly saving live.”

Studies have demonstrated the HCC-REAAD test demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity.