A blood test for the pre-metastatic niche
Before cancer spreads, distant organs are changed to become welcoming. A test for those changes would show which organ is at risk while a person still looks cancer-free.
Pre-metastatic niche formation involves tumour-derived exosome integrins, S100A8 and S100A9 induction, myeloid mobilisation and fibronectin deposition in the target organ. Candidate readouts exist — plasma S100A8/A9, exosomal integrin profiles, circulating LOX activity, neutrophil trajectories — but nobody has assembled them into a validated organ-specific risk assay.
- Metastasis is understood least and studied last · Metastasis causes about nine in ten cancer deaths but gets a small fraction of research money and almost no trials of its own.
- Dormant cells and minimal residual disease · After a 'successful' treatment, cells can sleep for years then relapse. We can barely detect them and cannot target them.
- Biomarkers are not validated or standardised · Tests that decide who gets a drug are often not validated prospectively and are measured differently in every lab.
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not linked directly; found by shared links- IdeaBreak the neutrophil DNA nets that catch tumour cells after surgery
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA), Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
- IdeaA public biomarker validation utility with pre-diagnostic biobanks and blinded testing
Shares Proteomics & phosphoproteomics, Biomarkers are not validated or standardised, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA).
- IdeaPerioperative beta-blocker plus COX-2 inhibitor to reduce metastasis after surgery
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer, Colorectal cancer.
- IdeaStrip the platelet coat off travelling tumour cells in ctDNA-positive patients
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA), HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer.
- IdeaTake the blood test, and give the drug, at the right time of day
Shares Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, Biomarkers are not validated or standardised, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA), HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer.
- InstitutionChampalimaud Foundation – Champalimaud Clinical Centre
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Liquid biopsy (ctDNA), Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer.
- IdeaSelect cachexia trial patients by the hormone driving their wasting
Shares Proteomics & phosphoproteomics, Biomarkers are not validated or standardised, Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
- IdeaBlunt the inflammation that wakes sleeping cancer cells
Shares Metastasis is understood least and studied last, Dormant cells and minimal residual disease, HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer.