Detecting cancers more easily from blood
Biomarkers play an important role in the effective treatment and monitoring of cancer. In the last decade, tumour-derived extracellular vesicles have emerged as an important biomarker. This means that the vesicles contain information about the molecular profile of the tumour and show the heterogeneity and dynamics during treatment. Because they are present in body fluids such as blood, it is easy to find them in patients. However, the isolation and characterisation of this type of biomarker remains a huge challenge, as vesicles are a minority compared to other particles with similar properties.
The aim of Dr. Agustin Enciso-Martinez's pilot project is to selectively isolate vesicles from the blood of people with cancer by combining different methods. Ultimately, it should make it easier to use this biomarker and thus obtain crucial information about the cancer. "I want to use the results of this pilot study to apply for grant applications such as VENI and Gisela Their (LUMC) fellowship or KWF Young Investigator Grant," says Enciso-Martinez. "With this project I want to demonstrate the clinical feasibility and usability of the developed method." The topic of this research is in line with the scientific programme METABODELTA: Metabolomics for clinical advances in the Medical Delta.