BCAL Diagnostics was founded in 2010 in Sydney, Australia. We are focussed on the creation of innovative diagnostic tests for use in breast cancer screening and diagnosis.
BCAL Diagnostics has created a Research and Development platform based on the discovery that lipids are aberrantly regulated in women with breast cancer. BCAL Diagnostics has leveraged this platform to develop assays for use in breast cancer screening and diagnosis.
Lipids in Breast Cancer
Lipids are a diverse group of naturally occurring fatty molecules that play essential roles in the body’s structure, energy storage, and cell signaling. Unlike proteins or carbohydrates, lipids are hydrophobic, meaning they do not mix well with water. This unique property makes them critical components of cell membranes, where they help regulate communication between cells and maintain structural integrity.
Beyond their basic biological functions, lipids serve as key biomarkers for disease. Changes in lipid composition and metabolism are associated with various conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. In breast cancer, tumor cells often alter their lipid profiles to support rapid growth, evade the immune system, and resist treatment. BCAL has harnessed these changes in lipid profiles and developed assays to detect the presence/absence of breast cancer.
BCAL Diagnostics Breast Cancer Assay Technology
BCAL Diagnostics has developed a blood test for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. The assay measures a panel of 7-lipids in blood plasma using Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). These lipid measurements are converted to a test score using a proprietary diagnostic algorithm.
