Genetic and epigenetic predictive biomarkers of treatment success for angiogenesis inhibitors in colorectal carcinoma

Project acronym: NV16-32198A
Project title: Genetic and epigenetic predictive biomarkers of treatment success for angiogenesis inhibitors in colorectal carcinoma
Project registration number: NV16-32198A
State funding provider: The Ministry of Health
Programme: NV - Programme for the Support of Applied Medical Research for the years 2015 - 2023 (2015 - 2023)
Start date: 2016-04-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Principal investigator: Drábek Jiří Ph.D.

Metastazing colorectal carcinoma (mCRC) is 2nd the most frequent cancer-related cause of death in Europe. Despite the advances in surgery, radio-, chemotherapy and biological treatment, 5-year survival of mCRC patients remains low (7.5%) and therefore, validated predictive biomarkers are seeked for. This project aims to bring new knowledge regarding mCRC, to personalize its treatment and thus minimize drug side effects. The means is multidisciplinary cooperation among Palacky University, Teaching Hospital Olomouc, and CGB in investigating genetic and epigenetic biomarkers for adjusting therapy choice and, potentially, for new therapies. Namely, we will follow biomarkers for potentially predictive biomarkers to antiVEGF (bevacizumab) treatment, chosen based on online cancer genome database searches. These biomarkers belong to somatic, germinal, and epigenetic changes of genetic materiál and, based on literature data, they warrant to expect predictive potential for drug response.