Investing in Liquid Biopsy for Cancer Detection
News Release
September 14, 2016 Moncton – NB – (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency – ACOA)
Testing patients for cancer and other diseases will become more efficient and less painful as a result of an investment of up to $3 million from the Government of Canada.
This investment, provided through the Atlantic Innovation Fund, was announced today by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, at an event held at the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute (ACRI).
This funding commitment also complements the Government of Canada's Innovation Agenda which is designed to make Canada a global centre for innovation—one that creates jobs, drives growth across all industries and improves the lives of all residents. Today’s investment is a perfect example of this vision in action.
With this investment, ACRI will undertake the development of a new approach for detecting and monitoring the biomarkers of cancer (and potentially other diseases) in bodily fluids, thus reducing the need for invasive biopsy procedures.
This research project will lead to the creation of nine highly-qualified full time positions. ACRI will also build strong partnerships with Exactis and Merck Canada and be well-positioned for future Canadian Networks of Centres of Excellence (CNCE) in Personalized Medicine projects.
Quotes:
“Innovation is the path to inclusive growth. It fosters a thriving middle class and opens our country to new economic, social and environmental possibilities, and is essential in shaping our future. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to supporting projects like the one being undertaken by the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute which is positioning Atlantic Canada on the global stage in biomedical research.”
- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA
“Because of the efforts of innovation leaders like Dr. Rodney Ouellette and the team of expert researchers at ACRI, they are advancing the global research effort aimed at combating cancer and building on our region’s capacity to innovate.”
- The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe
“Liquid biopsy will become a central tool in patient care. Using a patient’s sample of blood or urine, it will allow doctors to detect, diagnose and monitor in real-time the current state of an ever changing disease like cancer as well as many other acute and chronic diseases. This made-in-Canada solution is an enabling technology that allows for quick and simple capture of cell-derived information that informs care providers in order to make key decisions for next steps in patient care.”
- Dr. Rodney Ouellette, MD, Ph.D., President and Scientific Director of the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
“We are at the global forefront of the development of exosome capture technologies from various biological fluids, and we are confident that our Canadian-made technologies are best suited to provide solutions for liquid biopsy in the field of oncology and other diseases. On the therapeutics side, our complex sugar-based exosome-capture tools strategically fit the demand for technologies that are applicable for exosome-based therapeutic uses as some of those complex sugars are already FDA approved for multiple formulations, wound-healing, and internal uses in human medicine. This fits well within the future prospects of Precision Medicine from liquid-biopsy to targeted therapy.”
- Dr. Anirban Ghosh, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Team Leader of Exosome Research at the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
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Associated Links :
- Atlantic Growth Strategy
- Canada.ca/Innovation
- Atlantic Innovation Fund
- Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
Contacts:
Paul CJ LeBlanc
Senior Communications Officer - Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
506-452-3310
Paulcj.leblanc@canada.ca
Nadine Martin
Communications Agent - Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
506-862-7512
E-mail: nadinem@canceratl.ca
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