About this project
The CIRCLE project (CIrcular-RNA Research in Cancer through Liquid biopsy Evaluation) aims to develop a new diagnostic method for lung cancer by applying liquid biopsy techniques that will allow to detect in blood and urine different types of circular RNA.
The potential applications of this test range from early detection of cancer in people at risk, early detection of relapses in patients operated on for cancer or the prediction of a patient’s response to the treatment of advanced disease.
ORIGIN
“I know that curing cancer is not in our hands, but we will contribute to this goal and help individuals and families save lives through prevention. The important thing now is the path,” Ricky Rubio often says when explaining the reason for and personal conviction behind The Ricky Rubio Foundation’s initiative in pursuit of lung cancer awareness.
After the sad loss of his mother to this type of cancer, Ricky Rubio launches his foundation in July 2018. One of the areas of action focuses on raising awareness of Lung Cancer and since then has carried out numerous actions aimed at educating the population to prevent the disease and accompany current patients and their families.
PROPOSAL
Ricky Rubio and his foundation are committed to supporting worldwide research on liquid biopsy applied to lung cancer developed by a consortium of public and private entities including the Institut d’Investigació en Ciéncies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Pangaea Oncology-Instituto Oncológico Dr. Rosell and the American biotechnology company Nanostring.
This study is partially funded by a grant from the European Liquid Biopsy Academy (ELBA) but requires further financial support to be carried out. The project is led by Dr. Rafael Rosell, a great international reference in lung cancer research and Dr. Carlos Pedaz, an expert in circular RNA and also has the collaboration of Dr. Masaoki Ito, a researcher of Japanese origin currently on a grant in Barcelona.
SPONSORSHIP OF NOVARTIS AND ASTRAZENECA
As Ricky Rubio says, this is the foundation that everyone can be a part of. In this opportunity, The Ricky Rubio Foundation enhances its work with the support of two great companies, which have allowed an important base in fundraising so that research can be carried out, but there is still a long way to go.
SUMMARY
Lung cancer kills approximately 2,500,000 people a year worldwide, being the most frequent type of cancer with the highest mortality rate. This is due to the fact that most cases are detected in advanced stages of the disease, when it is almost always incurable.
Great efforts have been made to find early detection markers, but so far they have not been successful. The CIRCLE project (CIrcular-RNA Research in Cancer through Liquid biopsy Evaluation) aims to develop a new diagnostic method for lung cancer by applying liquid biopsy techniques that will make it possible to detect different types of circular RNA in the blood and urine.
