– Our goal is to make a diagnostic test for solid cancers that could be administered quickly and at low cost as part of a patient`s standard blood screenings and/or annual check-ups, says Herrera.
Read about Herrera's research and innovation project
Early detection, diagnosis and removal of solid cancer is essential to increase the cure rates as well as the life expectancy of cancer patients. Solid cancers are a group of cancer types which affect solid organs or tissues such as breast, lung, pancreas, and the ovaries. These are the solid cancer types that Herrera is focusing on in her research.
According to Carmen Herrera, the current conventional methods for solid cancer diagnostics are inadequate as they are mostly expensive, invasive, and have low sensitivity and specificity. This includes various types of scans of the tumour mass as well as tissue biopsy where clinicians sample a limited amount of the tumour mass from the affected areas in the body. This subsequently leads to a delay in diagnosis and treatment leading to significant economic burden to the patients and the healthcare system.–
These limitations have led to liquid biopsy gradually displacing the conventional methods where patient samples from different types of body fluids like blood and urine are tested for known molecular biomarkers for solid cancer – biomarkers are specific molecules or genes which are a hallmark of particular physiological processes or diseases.
– Despite having the advantage of being non-invasive, liquid biopsies still incur a significant cost with the addition of having low sensitivity and specificity for timely detection, in some cases, says Herrera.
She adds that the data analyses of these liquid biopsies might also be complex.
Herrera is developing a blood-based diagnostic test which detects a newly discovered cancer biomarker but attempting to overcome all the challenges with liquid biopsies.
This blood-based test will measure the activity of a specific solid cancer biomarker from blood patient samples, which will potentially be cheaper, higher in sensitivity and more specific. This makes it an ideal test for early detection with straightforward data analysis, says Herrera.
A new cancer biomarker
Herrera is exploring the potential of a biomarker that plays an important role in promoting solid cancer growth such as pancreatic and lung cancer. In addition, levels of this enzyme are increased in cancer and negatively correlate with cancer patient survival.
– We know that the levels of this biomarker in blood of patients with different types of cancer are higher when compared to healthy samples. Patients with low levels of this biomarker has a better prognosis whereas high levels indicate lower survival rates, says Herrera.
This diagnostic test is currently at its early stages with encouraging preliminary results in cancer cell lines.
– Our goal is to make a diagnostic test for solid cancers that could be administered quickly and at low cost as part of a patient`s standard blood screenings and/or annual check-ups, says Herrera.
This diagnostic test will be tailored specifically for solid cancers as there is a more urgent need to improve the early detection of solid cancers and can potentially be used to detect different types of solid cancers such as pancreatic, lung, ovarian and breast cancers.
Next steps ahead
Herrera continues to develop her idea and will soon start a screening with actual patient blood samples to test the potential of this new cancer biomarker. She is exploring other opportunities to further expand her idea and she has recently been accepted into the innovation program SPARK Norway run by UiO:Life Science. Herrera and her team are in contact with Inven2 regarding the patenting of the antibodies they have generated and validated.
Read about how Herrera has worked with the UiO Growth House
Bridging between fundamental scientific research and clinical applications
Herrera is actively involved in fundamental scientific research with focus on the molecular cancer field, but she is also motivated to translate these findings into clinical applications. She reached out to the UiO Growth House in 2022 with her idea and successfully received the first financial support the same year. It was with this initial seed funding that she purchased an automatized cell dispenser and started developing the technology for the diagnostic test. This equipment was then used to generate preliminary results used for the second application in 2023 where Herrera received funding from the UiO innovation fund that is managed by the UiO Growth House.
Herrera highlights the vital importance of an innovation unit like the UiO Growth House within a university which provides the opportunity to transform ideas by helping and guiding scientists to acquire the necessary skills and know-how to commercialise their ideas. She was also able to gain access to relevant networks through those that the UiO Growth House has.
– The Growth House has provided me with valuable, personalised training and access to a helpful personal network that I can build on and learn from. I had the opportunity to meet and be acquainted with many people. I learned about effective networking and how the system and processes are in this innovation ecosystem, says Herrera.
She thinks a strong foundation of basic science is fundamental to pave the way for valuable contributions to the scientific community, but it is also essential to transform these discoveries into contributions to society. This can only be made possible if scientists have access to the proper support, training, and access to the knowledge from the university during their research.
– Most of the academic culture focuses heavily on basic science foundation. However, it is equally important to translate our scientific discoveries into practical applications that can make real differences and benefit society. Support and knowledge on innovation are essential to develop the required skills to drive the commercialisation of our own ideas, says Herrera.
Thinking ahead through an innovative perspective
Besides the financial support from the UiO Growth House, Herrera also received personalized advice, support and guidance from her innovation adviser. She thinks that this has not only strengthened her research framework but was also valuable in the project development.
Herrera also participated in the School of Health Innovation course I and II which is run by the UiO Growth House. At this course she learned useful tools and understanding into the societal application of research, specifically from a health aspect. Knowledge on how to establish and find the correct networks is yet another important factor in the development and commercialisation of the idea which was made possible through her collaboration with the UiO Growth House.
– As a researcher, I had limited knowledge about patents and the commercialisation aspect of an idea. The support and mentoring I received from the Growth House has widened my perspective to understand the importance of this knowledge for my research endeavours. My entrepreneurial ambitions have been fulfilled and this experience has empowered me to transform our scientific discoveries into real-world solutions, says Herrera.
Herrera adds that there are several key concepts that are crucial to enable one to think innovatively. At the fundamental level, one must feel confident in the idea and have the drive to develop and actualize an idea to fruition. To advance through the different stages of the actualization of an idea, one must then immerse oneself within the relevant networks to fine tune and think on a broader level.
Discussing research with the innovation advisers from the UiO Growth House, the incubator ShareLab and Inven2 in Oslo Science Park has been valuable to Herrera, especially in terms of feedback to significantly improve the project. Herrera said that the positive aspects of sharing one’s ideas to experts is necessary for the improvement and further development of a project. These discussions have also opened even more new opportunities for idea development.