Year 2021 - FUV Research Project funded by Agorà
- Apr 6
- 2 min read
RESEARCHER AND PROJECT
Uday Munagala
Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Biology - University of Skovde (Sweden)
PhD in Biomedical Sciences - University of Florence
Project location
National Research Center (CNR) - Pisa
Project objective
Develop new approaches to analyze circulating tumor DNA to improve the monitoring of breast cancer patients.
PRESENTATION OF THE FINANCED PROJECT
In 2021, during the Agorà Congress, Agorà decided, together with some partners, to support the Umberto Veronesi Foundation by funding a scholarship for a young breast cancer researcher to provide concrete support for research and all the women who are facing and fighting this disease on a daily basis.
Breast cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm among women and, from a molecular point of view, one of the most heterogeneous. Biomarkers – that is, biological molecules that
They function as "indicators"—they have proven highly useful for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Their analysis, however, is usually performed on patient tissue biopsies, an invasive and difficult-to-repeat procedure. Liquid biopsy, the analysis of tumor DNA present in patients' bodily fluids (such as blood or urine), is proving to be a promising new approach for obtaining information on tumor characteristics noninvasively.
Today, however, DNA sequencing (i.e., "reading" tumor DNA) can be very expensive and not always accessible to everyone. Nanopore sequencing technology has developed an accessible and versatile protocol for analyzing tumor DNA circulating in the blood: this technique could prove useful for research and clinical practice.
The project's goal is to improve the "characterization" (i.e., study and analysis) of tumors by analyzing the genetic characteristics of each patient's tumor and identifying the presence of specific mutations. This will allow for monitoring the tumor's progression over time, providing increasingly personalized therapy.
AWARD CEREMONY FOR RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDING
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