CENTRO DI RIFERIMENTO ONCOLOGICO
Technology Transfer Opportunities Contact: Ermes Mestroni emestroni@cro.it
PHARMACOGENETICS TOOLS FOR TAILORED THERAPIES Technology Overview Pharmacogenetics focuses on intersubject variations in the therapeutic drug effect and toxicity depending on genetic polymorphisms. A significant variability in drug response may occur in cancer patients treated with the same drugs. The Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit of CRO Aviano develops pharmacogenetic studies focused on translational research with both a clinical and preclinical approach, making use of specific and varied expertises. Phase I-II clinical trials based on pharmacogenetic data are performed to investigate new strategies or to optimize existing therapies (adjustment of dosage, choice of treatment). The scientific know-how in the cancer therapy personalization, integrated with the use of powerful, medium to high throughput genotyping technologies (Pyrosequencing, TaqMan and Illumina BeadXpress), allowed the translation of some of the important results obtained by the Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit in friendly technological tools to be applied in the clinical practice. Moreover, the recent access to the new powerful Sequenom® platform for high throughput genotyping, could improve the analytical performances of the group. The sensitivity of this mass spectrometry-based system allows its employment in the tumor pharmacogenetic diagnostics with superior performances than the commonly used sequence analysers.
Advantages √ multidisciplinary team that supports the pharmacogenetic research core with expertise in the
bio-analytical, proteomic, and immunogenetic fields, √ laboratories equipped with high technology platforms (Pyrosequencing, 16 capyllaries ABI
automated sequencers, ABI7900HT instrument, automated liquid handlers, MALDi-TOF, Illumina BeadXpress, Sequenom), √ reach panel of cell lines that could further support in vivo studies, √ thousands of biological specimens stored from clinically monitored patients affected by
differential tumor types, that offer the basis for high throughput and genome wide studies.
CENTRO DI RIFERIMENTO ONCOLOGICO
Technology Transfer Opportunities Contact: Ermes Mestroni emestroni@cro.it
Development Stage The analysis of genetic profiles associated to toxicity and response to common anti-cancer treatment drove to successful collaborations with biotech companies that led already to the development, production, and commercialization of a set of Pyrosequencing based diagnostic kits. Multiple new applications other than SNP genotyping can be performed with the recently acquired Sequenom system, such as DNA methylation, molecular typing, somatic mutation profiling and quantitative gene expression. Pharmadiagen S.r.l., a pharmacogenetic spin-off company between CRO Aviano and an italian SME, was born. The business idea has been awarded in entrepreneurial competitions. Other successful collaborations with the pharmaceutical industrial world produced significant data also for international drug regulatory concerning drug labelling.
Looking for Collaborations with industrial partners aimed to:
⇒ identify new molecular targets, ⇒ develop diagnostic devices in the pharmacogenetics field, ⇒ define new chemotherapeutic schedule with phase I and phase II trials based on pharmacogenetic data.
More Information Paola Biason, PhD Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit pbiason@cro.it +39-434-659-816
Erika Cecchin, PhD Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit ececchin@cro.it +39-434-659-667