Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from cancer cells promote cancer development by activating various signalling pathways in target cells, according to a series of studies to date. In the FLUID-C project, which is being carried out at the Latvian Biomedical Research and Studies Centre (BMC), scientists are working on a new blood test for breast cancer diagnosis and early detection of recurrence. This will facilitate early detection and post-operative monitoring of the cancer, thus improving the effectiveness of treatment and quality of life for patients.
A key component of the proposed technology will be a cell line that acts as a biosensor, i.e. it is able to sense the patient's EVs and respond to them with certain changes in gene expression. “The main research objective of the FLUID-C project is to establish a fibroblast cell line that would serve as a sensitive EV biosensor and to identify gene expression signatures that are specifically induced by EVs from CF patients but not from healthy individuals.
The project aims to demonstrate that the FLUID-C technology concept works, using breast cancer diagnostics as an example, thereby achieving TRL3, and to develop a roadmap for bringing this technology to market.
The main commercialisation activities of the project include the development of an IP management strategy, a detailed commercialisation roadmap, the identification of potential industry partners and the implementation of targeted communication activities, thus mapping out a clear path to market for the technology. The project team is led by BMC Senior Researcher Aija Linē.
