History

Origin Sciences Limited was originally incorporated in 2003 with the intention of demonstrating a unique biological hypothesis proposed by Dr. Alexandre Loktionov. Dr. Loktionov proposed that cancerous tumours occurring in the gastro-intestinal tract exfoliate cellular material at massively increased rate when compared to healthy mucosa.

The diagnostic principle was simple. The cellular material is biologically carried through the Gastro Intestinal Tract (GIT) and gathers in the rectal mucosa. By collecting this material in a reliable and quantifiable manner, DNA could be extracted and quantified. A pre-determined DNA threshold would be an indicator of disease.

A simple and unique collection device was designed to deliver a robust mechanism for sample capture. Early clinical studies most certainly demonstrated that Dr. Loktionov’s hypothesis was indeed correct but results did not quite reach the required levels of accuracy.

More studies were conducted with ever increasing subject numbers. As the numbers increased, diagnostic consistency appeared to deteriorate to a level that was inconsistent with the high demands set by the company. This inconsistency was attributed to several factors, not least the fact that the test relied upon absolute consistency in volumatic (surface area) material collection – something that proves to be difficult in constantly varying human anatomy.

However, parallel investigations at the time demonstrated that this unique mucosal sample, that the new device could retrieve, harboured a plethora of valuable genetic material not seen in any other easily accessible in-vitro human material, such as plasma or stool.

Such an exciting discovery led to the company diverting its attentions to qualitative test strategies in favour of the more restrictive quantitive hypothesis.

The company has now focussed on the qualitative assessment of the unique biospecimen and its contents and has developed reliable techniques for sample handling, sample preservation and transport, extraction, purification and amplification, in order to deliver unparalleled sensitivity and specificity for the presence of colonic tumours.

Recent developments enabled by emerging collaborative technologies has led to the implementation of a highly accurate diagnostic tool for the detection of colorectal cancer in human subjects.