Objective A critical need in cancer care is the possibility to monitor tumour progression, through non-invasive techniques, to recognize relapses and/or metastases at a very early stage. The measurement of tumour biomarkers circulating into the bloodstream is a feasible way, as it can give indications also on patients’ response to therapeutic treatments, thus enabling the oncologist to pursue a precision-medicine strategy. In patients affected by breast and colon cancer, most serum biomarkers employed in the clinical practice have poor specificity and sensitivity to be used as monitoring tool of the cancer progression. Oncoxx Biotech has collected strong experimental data demonstrating that the transmembrane receptor Trop-2 drives progression of several tumour types. It has also been shown that Trop-2 is a determinant of breast cancer survival, and it is released in the bloodstream in patients with breast and colorectal cancer. In this respect, the results achieved in a preliminary clinical study have shown that all higher-than-baseline levels of circulating Trop-2 identify breast cancers with 100% specificity and 80% sensitivity and colon cancer with 100% of specificity and 74% of sensitivity. Therefore, scope of the ThruBlood project is to validate Trop-2 as a serum biomarker for monitoring disease-course in patients with breast and colon cancer. During Phase 1 we will: 1) assess the scientific feasibility of the proposed biomarker by extending the population of serum samples to analyse; 2) design the Clinical Validation Study to pursue in Phase2; 3) validate a standardized procedure for accurate measurement of the serum Trop-2 levels using a proprietary device (ICONA, patented by the applicant) with aim of providing high-throughput procedures for serum biomarker detection; 4) analyse and validate the business opportunity represented by the introduction of the ThruBlood assay in the current procedure adopted for surveillance of cancer diagnosed and treated patients. Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discoverymedical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgerymedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologybreast cancermedical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologycolorectal cancermedical and health scienceshealth sciencespersonalized medicine Programme(s) H2020-EU.3.1. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being Main Programme H2020-EU.3.1.3. - Treating and managing disease Topic(s) PHC-12-2015-1 - Clinical research for the validation of biomarkers and/or diagnostic medical devices Call for proposal H2020-SMEInst-2014-2015 See other projects for this call Sub call H2020-SMEINST-1-2015 Funding Scheme SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1 Coordinator ONCOXX BIOTECH SRL Net EU contribution € 50 000,00 Address VIA GARIBALDI VICO XVII 15 66034 LANCIANO Italy See on map SME The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed. Yes Region Sud Abruzzo Chieti Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 71 429,00