Biomarker panel for diagnosis of HDGC

Daniel A. Ferreira

Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) da Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is a rare disease that is diagnosed in around 50,000 people worldwide each year, predisposing affected individuals to highly aggressive forms of gastric and breast cancer that are difficult to detect and treat, resulting in poor prognosis.

Heritable mutations in the CDH1 gene are the main cause of disease in HDGC patients. Current imaging technologies are not able to detect the early onset of CDH1-related gastric cancer, so for carriers of these mutations, the best available therapeutic strategy is the preventive removal of the stomach. This radical approach saves lives, but has long-term health issues.

The team at the forefront of this project has developed an in vitro platform that functions as an “avatar” of the patient. To achieve this, they have combined organ-on-a-chip technology with cells derived from the patients themselves. This type of technology simulates the microenvironment and key functional aspects of living organs on a microscopic scale. Using this platform, the project will try to identify a panel of relevant biomarkers that can determine which patients are free of the disease and which have already started to develop it.

The aim of this project is to improve the management of HDGC, offering a personalized approach for each patient, improving their quality of life and helping physicians decide on the best time of action, for risk reducing surgery. The expected results from this project will create the groundwork for future development of an immediate diagnostic device for better management of individuals at very high risk of developing the disease.

Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer origins disclosed by organoid driven organon-chip technology

Stage 1