Project description
Cancer detection through a routine blood test
Liquid biopsy is a promising approach for prompt cancer detection in a non-invasive manner. However, current methods rely on cell-free DNA sequencing and suffer from high cost and low sensitivity. The EU-funded EPINuc project has developed a breakthrough technology that allows high-resolution profiling of nucleosome modifications using single-molecule imaging. Using this approach, researchers have demonstrated significant differences in the epigenetic state and protein levels between healthy individuals and patients with colorectal cancer. Following optimisation, the EPINuc technology will be commercialised for implementation in the cancer diagnosis field.
Objective
The analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma represents a rapidly advancing field in medicine, with developing methods aiming to utilize it for diagnostics of cancer and additional pathologies. Most liquid biopsy methods are sequencing-based and provide limited information, usually relying on the detection of rare cancer-associated mutations. Therefore, they are costly and highly limited in their sensitivity. Importantly, blood cfDNA consists predominantly in the form of nucleosomes, which maintain their tissue-specific epigenetic modifications. Thus far, this rich epigenetic information has been inaccessible due to technical limitations.
We developed EPINuc, a novel single-molecule multi-parametric-based assay to comprehensively profile the Epigenetics of Plasma Isolated Nucleosomes. Our approach is based on a technology we developed (Shema et al., Science), which allows high resolution profiling of combinatorial modification states on millions of individual nucleosomes by single-molecule imaging. EPINuc is unique in its capacity to generate multi-layered information from very limited liquid biopsy material. As proof of concept, we applied it to diagnose colorectal cancer (CRC), which is one of the most common cancers worldwide, necessitating expensive and invasive screening tests for all adults older than 50. Strikingly, EPINuc revealed significant differences in the epigenetic states and protein biomarkers’ levels between healthy individuals versus CRC patients.
In this PoC, we will optimize EPINuc to generate holistic data from plasma-isolated nucleosomes that is expected to identify cancers early from a routine blood test, without the need for invasive measures. This technology has significant commercialization value for the liquid biopsy industry. We will develop a commercialization strategy and network with potential collaborators, customers and investors to spin out the innovation as a successful assay technology business.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology colorectal cancer
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pathology
- engineering and technology medical engineering medical laboratory technology laboratory samples analysis
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) ERC-2020-PoC
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7610001 Rehovot
Israel
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