Craif (Location: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Ryuichi Onose, hereinafter referred to as “Craif”) has entered into a joint research agreement with Nonagen Bioscience Corporation (Location: Los Angeles, California, CEO: Charles J. Rosser, hereinafter referred to as “Nonagen”) on September 22, 2021. With the conclusion of this agreement, Craif and Nonagen will begin joint research to assess the clinical significance of urinary miRNA in the early diagnosis of cancers and racial differences in miRNA expression.

■Outline of the research
Craif has been searching for microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with cancers by applying microfluidic nanowire devices, microRNA (miRNA) detection technology, and analysis methods using machine learning. miRNA expression patterns can be used to detect early stage cancers. We have constructed an algorithm and succeeded in distinguishing cancer from healthy individuals with high accuracy, and presented the results at the American Cancer Society. In this study, we will further verify the performance of miRNA analysis for early detection of cancers using cohorts in Japan and the U.S., and examine the impact of racial differences on miRNA expression patterns, with the aim of establishing a point of care (POC) for miRNA testing that can be used worldwide.

■About Nonagen Bioscience Corporation
Nonagen Bioscience Corporation is a privately held company dedicated to developing liquid biopsy assays that will allow earlier detection of diseases and improved monitoring of response to therapies in human diseases with a primary focus in the field of oncology. The company has developed and patented technology for multiplex protein analyses. The company is based in Los Angeles, CA. For more information, visit www.nonagen.com.