Innovative diagnostics to improve screening for gynecological cancer
The project partners, CC Diagnostics, Molgen, UMCG and IQ Products, together have formed a consortium to improve the screening for gynecological cancer.
Currently, cervical cancer screening is inefficient and women-unfriendly. Every year, one million European women receive an incorrect diagnosis, meaning that expensive follow-up tests (such as colposcopy and biopsies) are unnecessarily performed in hospitals. The current test is experienced as unpleasant by women, which is why between 40-59% of the invited women do not participate in the population screening.
CC Diagnostics has developed a laboratory-scale screening test (the Methica CC kit) based on the methylation status of critical genes involved in cervical cancer. The patented knowledge about these genes arises from the knowledge and research of the UMCG. This screening test is more sensitive than the current screening based on a smear, which can prevent unnecessary stress for thousands of women every year due to a false positive result, and which also saves a lot of healthcare costs. Furthermore, this test can be performed on material obtained with a self-sampling set, which is also frequently used for HPV screening. Facilitating the use of a self-sampling kit is expected to greatly increase participation in the screening program and thus greatly increase the early detection of cervical cancer. Every year, 39.6 million triage tests are performed worldwide. The demand for accurate triage tests will only increase in the coming years due to the influence of the HPV test. In the Netherlands, the RIVM and the Nza have already pushed for a better testing method, which is provided by this project. Healthcare institutions in several countries have already shown interest in this groundbreaking innovation.
The project partners, CC Diagnostics, Molgen, UMCG and IQ Products, together form a strong consortium within which all the knowledge and expertise is available to bring this valorization project to a successful conclusion. The collaboration between secretary CC Diagnostics and the UMCG is strong, the UMCG is the patent holder of the combination of genes on which the Methica CC kit was developed. CC Diagnostics is the exclusive licensee of the technology and has extensive knowledge of developing diagnostic tests. Project partner IQ Products is a manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic kits, and also has a lot of experience in their development. Project partner MolGen has unique knowledge regarding scaling up and automation of laboratory processes.
