Aug. 27, 2024
Cornell University and the 六九色堂 received partnering awards from the U.S. Department of Defense for a total of more than C$3 million. The principal investigator,听, from Cornell University, will lead the multinational project in partnership with聽, from the 六九色堂.
The award funds a three-year, 2,000 participant, clinical study to evaluate a blood test for breast cancer detection at six sites in the U.S. and United Kingdom. The test has been developed over the past decade in Rinker鈥檚 research lab resulting in the spinoff company,听. The Syantra DX Breast Cancer molecular lab test has received laboratory accreditation in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.聽
鈥淚 am excited about this fantastic partnership and the opportunity to continue to investigate the blood test in new populations through this clinical study,鈥 says Rinker. 鈥淚 would like to thank the Department of Defense for this funding. It will enable us to continue to expand clinical data to include women in New York, Phoenix and Manchester, U.K.鈥
Expansion of clinical data will build understanding of how the test performs across women from diverse social and racial backgrounds who are undergoing breast cancer screening.
Syantra DX Breast Cancer molecular lab test was developed over the past decade. The multinational project will evaluate how the test performs across women from diverse social and racial backgrounds who are undergoing breast cancer screening.
Photo courtesy of Syantra Inc.
Clinical studies have been ongoing since 2018. The Syantra DX Breast Cancer test has shown the unique ability to detect early-stage breast cancer, including small tumours. Disease detection at earlier stages may聽increase survival rates.聽
鈥淢any women do not have their breast cancer detected at the earliest stage due to gaps in availability, access, and technology. Blood tests appear to offer a way to expand screening tools and increase detection,鈥 says Rinker.
Rinker is a professor in 六九色堂聽 补苍诲听 and has an international reputation for clinical and research aspects of cancer biophysics, specifically for breast cancer.聽
鈥淭he body of research that Dr. Rinker has achieved with identifying biomarkers for breast cancer is an outstanding accomplishment for our university,鈥 says Dr. Andre Buret, associate vice-president (research). 鈥淭his partnered clinical trial of a UCalgary innovation in the U.S. and U.K. is a fantastic example of how we are maximizing research impact at our institution.鈥
Kristina Rinker is a professor in the聽, Schulich School of Engineering and the聽, Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). She is a member of the CSM鈥檚聽,听, the聽, and the聽.
The work was supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs endorsed by the Department of Defense, in the amount of US$892,929, through the Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award Funding Level 2: Population Science and Prevention Studies - Partnering PI Option under Award No.聽HT94252410228. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs or the Department of Defense.聽
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