MetaPredict is a metastases prevention-focused project led by PhD student Maria Christou from EUC. Thanks to the MetaPredict project sponsored by the RIF, Maria Christou will have the opportunity to carry out her doctoral research in the EMBIO laboratory and work on the development of the biomarker detection tool to predict breast cancer metastasis.
Metastases are the leading cause of death in patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer and represent a major clinical obstacle in the care of cancer patients. Breast cancer patients often develop macrometastases after a latency period of one year after initial treatment. To date, there is no established rapid diagnostic tool for biomarker monitoring to predict metastatic relapse in breast cancer patients. Therefore, the MetaPredict project aims to create a diagnostic tool to identify and monitor novel biomarkers in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients to predict possible metastasis. Consequently, a cost-effective and time-saving point-of-care diagnostic tool will be developed.
Vision
With this three-year project, Ms. Christou, with the help of EUC and EMBIO, will design new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to be used as therapeutic targets against breast cancer in the future.
IMPACT
To facilitate the development of novel therapeutic drugs that will ultimately improve breast cancer clinically, as well as management and quality of life of breast cancer patients.