Making a few drops of blood enough for diagnosing cancer

CANCER-ID – Innovation in Medicine

Blood-based biomarkers, such as circulating tumor cells, circulating free tumor DNA and other tumor cell derivatives like micro RNAs, are potential indicators for the development of a tumor. Derivation of these markers from blood – so called “liquid biopsy” – may offer an additional invaluable tool for modern cancer therapy: apart from being of high importance when normal biopsies of the tumor are not accessible, blood-based tests may allow a close follow-up of disease markers offering a means to monitor the efficacy of treatment and potentially improve the choice of treatment options – paving the way for personalized medicine for the disease.

CANCER-ID offers a new way to track cancer

CANCER-ID is a newly formed European consortium supported by Europe’s Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). The Public-Private-Partnership with currently 36 partners from 13 countries aims at the establishment of standard protocols for and clinical validation of blood-based biomarkers. It brings together experts from academic and clinical research, innovative Small-to-Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), diagnostics companies and the pharmaceutical industry thus providing a unique setting for establishing clinical utility of liquid biopsies.

Start Date:            1st January 2015
Project Duration:   5 Years
Funding:                € 16.7 Mio

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