Biosceptre has published in the following areas:

Prostate       Breast      Bowel       Skin       P2X₇       

  
Prostate

Detection of preneoplasia in histologically normal prostate biopsies
“We propose that the use of purinergic receptor translocation (PRT) staging constitutes an effective tool with which to readily differentiate patients with non-cancerous BPH from those with early cancer, as yet undetectable by H&E staining, in men who present with elevated PSA levels and / or enlarged prostates.  This feature reduces the need to take many needle biopsy samples in the hope of sampling a diagnostic group of cells, currently required by H&E diagnosis."
Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2001) 4, 92-96

Markers for the development of early prostate cancer
“The potential increased accuracy of diagnosis of underlying prostate cancer using purinergic receptor translocation (PRT) assessment suggests that PSA levels may be more accurate than has generally been supposed when apparent false negatives arising from H&E-based diagnoses are correctly categorized."
J Pathol 2003; 199: 368–377

Early prostate cancer detected using expression of non-functional cytolytic P2X₇ receptors
“The appearance of P2X₇ receptors in normal prostate tissue adjacent to prostate tumours makes direct tumour biopsy less critical for positive cancer diagnosis and enables cancer  progression to be monitored.”
Histopathology 2004, 44, 206–215  (Winner of 2005 Robert Cotton Prize)
 

Expression of the apoptotic calcium channel P2X₇ in the glandular epithelium is a marker for early prostate cancer and correlates with increasing PSA levels
“It is clearly apparent that the presence of cancer in the prostate can be readily detected by P2X₇ labeling and that truly negative cases can be readily distinguished.  This method may also be employed to provide  data on the rate of progression of individual tumors within patients and to monitor the progress of  treatments since only minimal tissue need be collected at biopsy due to the presence of the organ wide field-effect.”
J Mol Hist (2005) 36: 159–165 

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Breast

Differentiation between cancerous and normal hyperplastic lobules in breast lesions
“Anxious patients with non-cancerous lesions or those with no sign of invasive cancer can be confidently reassured. This method also identifies the true extent of precancerous spread in infiltrating lesions, to facilitate the accurate reporting of clear surgical margins.”
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 83: 1–10, 2004

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Bowel 

Non-Functional P2X₇ Receptor; A New Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer
Paper in preparation

P2X₇: Improved detection of bowel cancers and dysplastic bowel conditions by quantifying a novel cell membrane receptor 
“Differentiation of adenocarcinoma from normal biopsies was high and a larger series is being conducted for evaluation of P2X₇ sensitivity and specificity in Barrett’s oesophagus (with and without dysplasia) and ulcerative colitis “
Australian Gastroenterology Week, 11-14 October 2006

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Skin

Increased expression of apoptotic markers in melanoma
“These results show that telomerase-induced proliferation and defensive apoptosis are co-localized and simultaneous processes in melanoma tissue.  Melanoma cell proliferation appears to overwhelm the apoptotic defence, perhaps due to the antiapoptotic effects of telomerase.”
Melanoma Research 2003, 13:137–145

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Biosceptre has published a number of more general articles relating to the fundamental finding:
 
P2X₇

A Glu-496 to Ala Polymorphism Leads to Loss of Function of the Human P2X₇ Receptor
The Journal of Biological Chemistry  Vol. 276, No. 14, Issue of April 6, pp. 11135–11142, 2001

Genetic Polymorphisms of the Human P2X₇ Receptor and Relationship to Function
Drug Development Research 53: 72-76 (2001)

Point mutations confer loss of ATP-induced human P2X₇ receptor function
FEBS Letters 512 (2002) 43-46

Specific detection of non-functional human P2X₇ receptors in HEK293 cells and B-lymphocytes
FEBS Letters 538 (2003) 159-162

An Ile-568 to Asn Polymorphism Prevents Normal Trafficking and Function of the Human P2X₇  Receptor
The Journal of Biological Chemistry  Vol. 278, No. 19, Issue of May 9, pp. 17108–17113, 2003

An Arg307 to Gln Polymorphism within the ATP-binding Site Causes Loss of Function of the Human P2X₇ Receptor
The Journal of Biological Chemistry  Vol. 279, No. 30, Issue of July 23, pp. 31287–31295, 2004

Extracellular ATP Increases Cation Fluxes in Human Erythrocytes by Activation of the P2X₇ Receptor
The Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol. 279, No. 43, Issue of October 22, pp. 44749–44755, 2004

Purinergic receptor distribution in endothelial cells in blood vessels: a basis for selection of coronary artery grafts
Atherosclerosis 162 (2002) 55-61

Evaluation of Non Functional P2X₇ Receptor as an Effective Pan Cancer Therapeutic Target
AACR 100th Annual Meeting 18-22 April 2009

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