On the 1st of October, GeneWake started a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to improve diagnostics of colorectal cancer.
Modern cancer therapy is focusing increasingly on a more personalized treatment of the individual patient. This is due to the fact that even tumors of the same type differ from one another in their molecular properties, which leads to a quite different patient`s response to a given cancer therapy. In colorectal cancer some genes – so called biomarkers –are often particularly affected by changes. These mutations can, for example, result in resistance to usual therapeutic agents. To reach the best possible treatment for each patient, the molecular analysis of these biomarkers will become increasingly important.
Dr. Robert Loewe, the CEO of GeneWake explains the innovation character of this project: ”Due to the financial assistance of BMBF, GeneWake will develop a new diagnostic test for colorectal cancer. This test enables the physician to examinea tumor tissuesection both for changes in cell morphology and for the presence of mutations in the most therapeutically relevant biomarkers KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA.The result provides accurate information about the extent and the distribution and location of the given changes in the tumor.”
With more than 70,000 yearly incidences, colon cancer is the second most frequent cancer in Germany. Dr. Sabine Ott, Head of Business Development at GeneWake,states: „The objective of this innovative test is to spare patients ineffective treatments and in many cases to support the doctor in finding an effective and targeted therapy. At the same time, GeneWake contributes to the realization of an affordable personalized treatment of colorectal cancer.”
The project “Innovative histological detection of mutations in KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA for personalized treatment of colorectal cancer” runs for three years and is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with around 450,000 Euro.
Contact
Dr. Sabine Ott
GeneWake GmbH
Floriansbogen 2-4
D-82061 Neuried