The KRAS-variant is a biomarker that has been shown to significantly predict sensitivity and resistance to specific cancer treatments. This information can subgroup patients into responders or non-responders for therapies being used today as standard of care. Currently work is ongoing to develop the best approaches to treat cancer patients with the KRAS-variant. This information is currently especially critical for individuals with metastatic cancer, as this information should inform choices for palliative therapies.
Currently, there are no biomarkers used before radiation therapy treatment to identify patients who have altered sensitivity to radiation therapy. This treatment is used in over 67% of cancer patients. MiraDx is developing a panel of such biomarkers, with the KRAS-variant being the lead, using extensive well-validated patient cohorts.
MiraDx has a program to confirm a diagnosis of Ataxia Telangiectasia in children, based on work from the Gatti laboratory spanning 40 years.
As shown in numerous independent studies, women with the KRAS-variant are at an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and multiple primary breast cancer. Recent data now indicates that changing estrogen levels i.e. estrogen withdrawal can trigger cancer in women with the KRAS-variant. Knowing a woman’s KRAS-variant status is an additional piece of information to help direct decisions for estrogen management as well as screening.
Despite the dangers of the KRAS-variant mutation, few doctors have heard of it. But one researcher is trying to change that.