What if prostate-specific antigen, certainly one of the most known of prostate cancer biomarkers, could be detected with precision that is orders of magnitude better than existing hospital tests? Quanterix, a Cambridge, MA-based diagnostics startup, is developing such a system that it calls single molecule microarray technology, which could be applied for detecting many thousands of different biomarkers. It plans to develop a PSA test that can provide early detection of prostate cancer recurrence in men who have undergone surgery to remove impacted tissues, also known as a prostatectomy.  

A question to ask is whether a more sensitive PSA test can provide actionable data to doctors and patients. Indeed, Quanterix is looking into this question and plans to report how its test is able to improve prognoses for prostate cancer patients who have undergone surgery. The study results, due out in 2011, would follow a paper last year in Nature Biotechnology that showed Quanterix's technology was 1,700 times more sensitive than standard hospital PSA tests. The technology could help doctors spot recurrence years ahead of current tests, according to the company.

Quanterix plans to provide the first commercial release of its technology for the life sciences research market in 2013, and it expects to begin sales of the system with FDA-approved tests for PSA and others in 2014. It's worth noting that David Walt, scientific founder of the company, previously co-founded Illumina ($ILMN), a major provider of gene-sequencing machines. Walt might have an encore with Quanterix if the company can deliver on its promise.