2022: Year in review – Don’t miss the latest in urine-related research for infectious disease and oncology applications
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It's been an exciting year - using various media, including webinars, conferences, posters and scientific publications, we have had the opportunity to share our latest work in urine sampling for infectious disease and oncology research and applications. As we wrap up the year, here's our 2022 urine sampling highlights that we don’t want you to miss!
- What's new in the world of urine for infectious disease research
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Other sexually transmitted infections
- What's new in the world of urine for oncology research
What's new in the world of urine for infectious disease research
Urine as a sample type has shown great potential for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) based cervical cancer screening and vaccination follow-up. Studies have shown that women prefer urine as a sample type for high risk (hr) HPV detection compared to the standard Pap smear, as the method is non-invasive, user-friendly, and suitable for home-collection.1
We were present at conferences this year, where we discussed and highlighted our work in urine related research for HPV applications. At EUROGIN 2022, Jhana Hendrickx, Sr. Scientific & Clinical Affairs Specialist at Novosanis, highlighted how first-void urine is a reliable sample type for cervical cancer screening.
The presentation summarized the results of clinical trials, including the EVAH, VALHUDES, Predictors 5.1, and CASUS studies, which addressed the performance of our first-void urine collected with our Colli-Pee® device to other self-sampling devices for HPV detection2. Want to know more about our presentation at EUROGIN – check it out here.
Additionally, our posters at EUROGIN further highlighted the potential of urine sampling for HPV detection for cervical cancer screening:
- Home-based self-sampling of first-void urine for hrHPV testing in cervical cancer screening: usability feedback from a Belgian colposcopy referral population
The poster summarized results of the study, which showed that most women prefer a urine self-sample at home over a physician-taken PAP smear for their next cervical cancer screening. View the poster here.
- First-void urine and vaginal self-sampling in cervical cancer screening: feedback from a colposcopy referral population
The poster outlined results of the study, which showed that most women enrolled in several European triage populations preferred first-void urine over a vaginal self-sample. In addition, women found that first-void urine was easier-to-use and were confident that samples were taken correctly. View the poster here.
We also hosted a scientific workshop at AACC, which highlighted urine self-sampling for HPV testing:
- Applying lessons from the pandemic for non-invasive sample collection for infectious diseases: From saliva collection for COVID testing to urine self-sampling for HPV testing.
One of our speakers, Dr. Smith (PhD, MPH), Professor at the University of North Carolina, explored the advances in clinical data supporting first-void urine as a non-invasive, (at-home) self-collection sampling method for detection of HPV. View the workshop here.
Several scientific publications were also published this year, which further highlighted this message and focused on urine for HPV detection. Here are a few of them:
- HPV screening in the urine of transpeople - A prevalence study3 (PMID: 36263396)
The aim of the study was to evaluate urinary HPV prevalence in a large cohort of transpeople with common risk profiles and the acceptability of such a screening method. Overall, the results of the study showed that most people would prefer urine HPV tests, underlining the unique opportunity for HPV screening on this hard-to-reach population.
- Analytical and clinical performance of extended HPV genotyping with BD Onclarity: HPV Assay in home-collected first-void urine: a diagnostic test accuracy study4 (PMID: 36049283)
The aim of this study was to report on the analytical and clinical accuracy of high-risk HPV testing on first-void urine, collected at home, using the extended HPV BD Onclarity™ genotyping assay within the VALHUDES study framework. The results showed that BD Onclarity HPV Assay on first-void urine has similar clinical sensitivity and somewhat lower specificity to detect cervical precancer to testing on clinician-collected cervical samples.
Want to know more? We have summarized some of the latest work in urine and HPV research in our e-book titled: Urine the golden sample: why is urine so exciting in cervical cancer screening? Check out the e-book here.
Other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Routine screening is critical for prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly since many infections do not present symptoms. Methods to detect STIs are underutilized because traditional sampling methods can be invasive, time consuming, and require a clinician. Urine, in particular first-void urine collected at any time of the day has shown great promise in STI screening.5
At ECCMID 2022, we highlighted the potential of non-invasive sampling, including urine, for infectious disease testing and research. We presented our Colli-Pee® device, and how it allows for standardized first-void urine collection with immediate mixing with preservative, enabling detection of STIs as well as HPV.
A scientific publication published in 2022 further looked at urine as a sample type to monitor the prevalence of STIs.
- Prevalence of five curable sexually transmitted infections among women in Lower River Region of The Gambia6 (https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2127958/v1)
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of five curable STIs (Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Treponema pallidum (TP)) in a sample of Gambian women from the general population in archived urine and blood serum samples. The results show that STIs are endemic in The Gambia and that monitoring systems should be established in the future.
Want to know more? We have summarized key findings in the world of urine and STI research in our white paper titled: Urine collected through our Colli-Pee® device offers potential for self-sampling at home for detection of sexually transmitted infections. Check out the white paper here.
What's new in the world of urine for oncology research
Early detection of cancer can greatly increase chances of survival and improve the overall quality of life of a patient. Cancer biomarkers are found in tissues as well as bodily fluids and can be used to detect disease early as well as monitor disease progression. A high number of potentially informative cancer biomarkers have been found in urine.7
We were present at conferences this year, where we discussed and highlighted our work in urine related research for oncology applications.
At PMWC, Jhana Hendrickx, highlighted the use of minimally invasive procedures such as liquid biopsies as an alternative sample for oncology applications. The presentation further explained the increasing number of biomarker candidates found in urine, including DNA, RNA, proteins, exosomes, and metabolites for many cancer types, including for bladder, cervical, kidney, prostate, breast, colon, and lung cancer. Find the summary of our presentation at PMWC here.
Our poster at the EACR Conference on Liquid Biopsies explored the performance of our novel non-lytic formula on (UASTM) in sample preservation for detection and stabilization of urinary analytes at ambient temperatures.
- Stabilization and characterization of urinary cell-free DNA to facilitate home based sampling
The results of the study showed that a combination of our Colli-Pee® device and UASTM buffer offers a standardized and user-friendly method for the home-based volumetric collection and preservation of urine samples for the stabilization of analytes involved in liquid biopsy applications. View the poster here.
At AMP, we focused on the benefits of non-invasive sample types such as urine in oncology and infectious disease testing and research. Our poster at the conference highlighted the promising integrated pre-analytical solution Novosanis and nRichDX offer for researchers investigating urine as liquid biopsy for cancer detection
- Colli-Pee® UAS™ Combined with nRichDX Revolution System™, a Promising Urinary Cell-free DNA Collection, Preservation and Extraction Workflow
The results showed that the Colli-Pee® UAS™ FV-5040 (RUO), urine collection and analyte preservation device, combined with the nRichDX Revolution System™, offers an improved workflow for investigating urinary biomarkers. View the poster here.
In addition to conferences, we also shared our work with urine for oncology applications in a couple of webinar series. We had two webinars with the winners of the EACR & Novosanis research Grant, relating to this topic.
- Webinar Cancer Biomarker Detection in Urine: Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer using Aptamers Dr. Anne-Cécile Duc and Antonija Hanžek, from CHROME at Université de Nîmes, and Stephanie Jordaens, Biomedical Scientist at Novosanis.
In this webinar, the speakers highlighted their research on early detection of ovarian cancers using aptamers in urine, focusing on HE4 protein, and the potential of our Colli-Pee® device as a self-sampling tool. View the full webinar here.
- Webinar Cancer Biomarker Detection in Urine: Characterization of a urine biomarker for the earlier detection of endometriosis Dr. Barbara Guinn from University of Hull winner of the Grant, and Koen Beyers, Co-Founder of Novosanis).
In this webinar, Dr. Guinn discussed the potential of a urine test for detection of endometriosis, a common cause of ovarian cancer. She also highlighted her project which uses Novosanis' Colli-Pee® as a urine collection device to allow for standardization of patient sample collection by ensuring quality and reproducibility of data required to get a urine biomarker into clinical practice. View the full webinar here.
Want to know more? We have summarized some of the latest work in the world of urine and oncology research, particularly focusing on prostate cancer in our e-book titled: Multi-omics and urine as a sample type: a promising approach to detect and monitor prostate cancer. Check out the e-book here.
Throughout the year, we shared our latest work and research in urine for infectious disease and oncology research and applications, using various methods. We look forward to what 2023 has to offer. We wish you a happy new year!
1. WHY IS URINE SO EXCITING IN CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING? E-book - https://novosanis.com/sites/default/files/poster/pdf/Urine%20the%20%E2%8...
2. https://novosanis.com/human-papillomavirus-hpv
3. Pils S, Mlakar J, Poljak M, Domjanič GG, Kaufmann U, Springer S, Salat A, Langthaler E, Joura EA. HPV screening in the urine of transpeople - A prevalence study. EClinicalMedicine. 2022 Oct 12;54:101702. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101702. PMID: 36263396; PMCID: PMC9574404.
4. Van Keer S, Latsuzbaia A, Vanden Broeck D, De Sutter P, Donders G, Doyen J, Tjalma WAA, Weyers S, Arbyn M, Vorsters A. Analytical and clinical performance of extended HPV genotyping with BD Onclarity HPV Assay in home-collected first-void urine: A diagnostic test accuracy study. J Clin Virol. 2022 Oct;155:105271. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105271. Epub 2022 Aug 24. PMID: 36049283.
5. Urine collected through Colli-Pee offers potential for self-sampling at home for detection of sexually transmitted infections – White Paper https://novosanis.com/sites/default/files/poster/pdf/White%20Paper_Urine...
6. Butcher R, Jarju S, Obayemi D, et al. Prevalence of five curable sexually transmitted infections among women in Lower River Region of The Gambia. Research Square; 2022. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2127958/v1.