STUDY USES BIOINFORMATIC SOFTWARE TO ANALYZE SERUM COMPONENTS.

Luminex Corporation (Nasdaq:LMNX), Austin, Texas, has unveiled details of a major project that will enable the detection and treatment of diseases at earlier stages by elucidating certain biochemical changes detectable only in blood.

During the initial phase of this project, Luminex researchers will screen tens of thousands of blood samples to assess the role of approximately 300 components in disease. The components to be tested include those identified by experts in the fields of cancer, multiple sclerosis, trauma, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer's and heart disease as being significant biochemical markers. This initial screening is part of an ongoing study that is expected to grow to hundreds of thousands of samples, which will be analyzed for up to 1,000 distinct serum components. The results will be analyzed by using several bioinformatic software methods. The company believes this analysis will identify protein patterns associated with various disease states.

"The potential ramifications of this project on our ability to improve health care are enormous," said Ed Davis, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Biostatistics at the University of North Carolina. "From faster and more accurate clinical trials to more precise diagnosis of disease and earlier intervention, the benefits of this project will be realized by doctors and patients alike."

The majority of disease-related processes manifest themselves as biochemical changes in the blood, and this observation has historically formed the basis of diagnostic medicine. Identifying these changes is expected to permit earlier detection and treatment of disease and to provide pharmaceutical researchers with a wealth of new drug targets. The study has been designed to take full advantage of Luminex's proprietary LabMAP technology, where miniaturization allows large-scale proteomic arrays to be analyzed quickly and inexpensively in a small amount of sample.

"LabMAP technology is critical to the development of this database," commented Mark Chandler, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Luminex. "This platform is the first to allow so many tests on so little blood. The database has the potential to vastly improve medical diagnostics and should make the drug discovery process quicker, cheaper and more effective. These benefits should begin to be realized early next year."

The company anticipates that the potential uses of the database are varied and far-reaching. The information is expected to provide pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with important insight regarding abnormal expression or function of proteins. These proteins are the targets of action for 99% of the drugs on the market today. In addition, physicians may be able to access the database to screen patients for thousands of diseases quickly, accurately and cost-effectively. Companies developing multi-analyte diagnostics based on the Luminex platform will be able to incorporate new tests into their products based on the findings of this study.

Luminex Corporation develops, manufactures and markets proprietary biological testing technologies with applications throughout the life sciences industry. The company's LabMAPTM system is an open-architecture, multi-analyte technology platform that delivers fast, accurate and cost-effective bioassay results to markets as diverse as pharmaceutical drug discovery, clinical diagnostics and biomedical research. The LabMAPTM system is sold worldwide and is already in use in leading research laboratories as well as major pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology companies. Further information on Luminex Corporation or LabMAPTM can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.luminexcorp.com.

LabMAP combines several proven technologies with advanced digital signal processing and proprietary software to perform a wide range of bioassays quickly, cost-effectively and accurately. LabMAP performs discrete bioassays on the surface of color-coded microspheres, or beads, which are read in a compact analyzer. The analyzer uses lasers and high-speed digital signal processors, similar to those used in home electronics, to simultaneously identify the bioassay and measure the result.

Examples of LabMAP applications include the following:

* Drug discovery/genomics: detecting single nucleotide polymorphism, SNPs, for pharmacogenomic applications

* Diagnostic: a single diagnostic test taking just 15 minutes that could be used to detect and qualify standard therapeutic/diagnostic biological markers and pathogens in biological samples

* Standard research applications such as DNA sequencing, PCR applications and immunoassays

For more information, call [phone] ext. 257.