HealthCare Capital Partners

Glossary of Terms

Analyte: Any substance that is measured, usually applied to a component of blood or other bodily fluid.

Analyzer: A diagnostics instrument or device used to separate substances into their constituent parts and to determine the absence or presence and, if present, the quantity of specific substances of compounds.

Amino Acids: The basic building blocks from which peptides and proteins are constructed. The specific amino acid sequence of a peptide or protein is governed by the nucleotide sequence contained in the gene coding for it. There are 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins.

Antibody: A critical immune system protein (immunoglobulin) produced by the body’s immune system (B lymphocytes) that identifies and leads to the clearing of a foreign substance, such as a bacterium, a virus, or transplanted tissue. Researchers estimate that the body produces more than 10 million antibodies, with each antibody targeted to a specific antigen.

Antigen: Harmful foreign substances or “intruders,” usually a protein or carbohydrate, capable of triggering immuno-system responses, i.e. the formation of antibodies to react specifically with the antigen.

Bioinformatics: The use of computers to process, analyze, store and retrieve biological information.

Carbohydrates: One of four major classes of molecules on which life if based. Carbohydrates are used in energy storage, are part of the structure of nucleic acids, form the cell walls of plant and bacterial cells, and can be linked to proteins through a process known as glycosylation.

Choriocarcinoma: A cancer of the placenta, or rarely, a germ cell cancer in the testes or ovaries. Choriocarcinoma was the first cancer to be cured by chemotherapy. It most often occurs in Asian women and women over 40. Diagnostic procedures include a biopsy, ultrasound, nuclear scan and human chorionic gonadotropin test (HCG).

DNA: Short for deoxyribonucleic acid, one of two nucleic acids (along with RNA) found in all cells. DNA is responsible for and provides the “blue print” genetic information for the building of living cells.

Enzymes: Substance produced by cells in the body that can start or accelerate chemical transformations, such as the building of new proteins or the carrying of materials around a cell.

Gene: The segment of DNA sequence in a chromosome involved in producing a polypeptide chain (protein).

Gene Therapy: The therapeutic application of either blocking the unwanted result of a defective gene or repairing a defective gene by inserting a new gene into the chromosome.

Genome: Refers to all genes present within the cells of a living organism.

Genomics: The large-scale study of the inherited genes contained in the cells of any given organism.

Glycoprotein: Proteins that are covalently bonded to carbohydrates. Any of a large group of conjugated proteins in which the non-protein substance is a carbohydrate.

Glycosylation: The addition of carbohydrate (sugar) molecules to proteins as they are manufactured in cells. Glycosylation represents one of the important co-translational and post-translational modifications of proteins.

Immunoassay: A test of body fluids such as blood or urine for specific antigens, antibodies and/or other biological substances.

In-vitro: That occurring in a laboratory setting.

In-vivo: That occurring in a living organism.

Mass Spectrometry (MS): A technique for determining the molecular weight of a protein at high resolution. Can be used to determine the identity of a protein.

Molecular Biology: General term referring to the study of the structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids; may be used as a synonym for genetic engineering or recombinant DNA techniques.

Monoclonal Antibody: A laboratory manufactured protein produced substance that reacts with a specific protein antigen. MOAB’s have proven useful in diagnosing certain cancers (e.g., radioscope-linked MOAB’s). Each MOAB is identical and is of known antigen specificity.

Nucleic Acids: The molecules that carry genetic information in living cells. DNA and RNA are nucleic acids.

Oncogenesis: The process initiating and promoting the transition of a non-cancerous cell to a cancerous cell through the action of biologic, chemical or physical agents.

Peptide: A chain of amino acids that is generally shorter than a protein.

Positive Predictive Value (PPV): The probability of actually having cancer when a diagnostic test result is positive.

Proteins: Any of a large group of naturally occurring complex organic compounds, each a product of a specific gene, composed of large combinations of amino acids containing various essential constituents (e.g., carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and occasionally sulfur, phosphorus, iron, iodine, etc.) of living cells. Protein is the major source of building material to make living things, i.e., the “construction workers” for building or replacing muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and the internal organs. It is also essential for the formation of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies among other functions. Many proteins will serve as diagnostic markers, enabling physicians to diagnose disease and track the progress of treatment. Others will serve as therapeutic agents themselves, like erythropoietin and insulin. Still others will serve as targets for monoclonal antibody and small-molecule drug development.

Proteome: Refers to the complete set of proteins found within a living organism expressed by specific cells at any given time. The proteome of a given cell can vary depending on environmental and other conditions including disease.

Proteomics: The large-scale study of the proteins that the genes encode, and their interaction in biochemical pathways in states of health and disease.

Reagant: A chemical substance known to react in a specific way, used to detect another substance through a chemical reaction.

RNA: Short for ribonucleic acid, one of two nucleic acids (along with DNA) found in all cells. RNA transfers all genetic information from DNA (like a “construction boss”) to proteins (construction workers) produced by the cells. RNA tells enzymes how to build specific parts of a cell. There are three classes: messenger RNA is the template for decoding the instructions contained in DNA, while transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA (located in structures known as ribosomes inside cells) follow these instructions to make proteins.

Sensitivity: Ability of a diagnostic test to correctly identify a person who does not have cancer or a disorder. Good specificity means low incidence of false-negative results when the cancer is present.

Specificity: Ability of a diagnostic test to correctly identify a person who has cancer or a disorder. Good sensitivity means low incidence of false-positive results when the cancer is not present.