Cofactor Genomics, a developer of advanced RNA analysis tools, has entered an agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), along with agreements with research groups at three other academic and pharma institutions, to demonstrate the clinical utility of the immune-profiling assay Cofactor Paragon. These research collaborations will use this RNA-based immune profiling technology to better understand the immune profiles of patients with sarcoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer as initial case studies. Ultimately, the project strives to improve upon the tools currently available to profile the tumor microenvironment by delivering RNA-based data in an easy-to-interpret report. “New immunotherapies and combination therapies are moving into clinical studies very rapidly. There is a need for advanced assays which enable thorough molecular tumor profiling to better predict and interpret patient response,” said James Gulley, MD, PhD, head of the immunotherapy section of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch at the NCI Center for Cancer Research.