SciLifeLab Precision Medicine Capability part of two national collaborative research efforts
Precision medicine, which seeks to provide accurate diagnoses and tailored treatments to individual patients at the right time, is increasingly becoming a part of clinical practice. To fully realize the potential of this approach, there is a significant need for biomarker research, for advanced molecular diagnostics, data collection and sharing. Two projects recently funded by the Sjöberg Foundation seek to promote collaborative team science for precision medicine and health in cancer.
“SciLifeLab’s Precision Medicine Capability is happy to partner in these projects addressing this need through national involvement of multidisciplinary experts at multiple Swedish universities and health care regions”, says Päivi Östling, Precision Medicine Capability Lead, SciLifeLab and Karolinska Institutet.
The SPRINTR project (Swedish PRostate cancer Initiative for Novel Treatment Regimens) is aimed at new biomarkers to be used to match patients to treatment in a platform for clinical trials including cost assessment and data collection on patient follow-up in aggressive prostate cancer.
“Importantly, the assets created within SPRINTR have the aim to be available for all prostate cancer studies in Sweden”, says Andreas Josefsson, project leader, urologist and Associate Professor at Umeå University. The project has received 21 million SEK from the Sjöberg Foundation and is led by Andreas Josefsson and by Karin Welen at the University of Gothenburg, with contributions from several other academic institutions and university hospitals across Sweden.
The project “Developing a precancer atlas – a blueprint for early detection of cancer” was awarded 30 million SEK is led by Professor Beatrice Melin at Umeå University and Professor Tobias Sjöblom at Uppsala University and also includes several universities and health care regions as partners. The goal of the PREDICT project is to identify diagnostic plasma protein biomarkers and risk scores for early detection of cancer.
“Initially, we focus on developing a unique atlas of pre-cancer to cancer development from existing samples and/or data from the PREDICT and U-CAN cohorts”, says Beatrice Melin. “To evaluate the candidate biomarkers, identified through the atlas in a clinical setting, we also develop precision diagnostics to match the standardized care pathways for cancers she continues”.
More information:
SPRINTR
Sjöbergstiftelse-miljoner till prostatacancerprojekt (umu.se)
Sjöberg Foundation millions for prostate cancer project (umu.se)
PREDICT
30 miljoner kronor till samarbetsprojekt om cancer (umu.se)
Miljonbidrag till IGP-forskare från Sjöbergsstiftelsen (uu.se)
