GLAM

Differential cancer diagnosis takes place daily in clinical settings for a better monitoring of patient responses to existing treatments. However outcome of this diagnosis is today still poor. Moreover, current technology to measure biomarker levels is expensive and sophisticated. Most cancer biomarker analysis use blood or biological tissues as the main source of material. These biopsies must be analyzed in specialized laboratories incurring in some limitations: high cost; specialized personnel and equipment; large amounts of biological material; long outcome delivery time; time consuming processes.

Therefore it exist a real need and urgency to have new diagnostic devices that provide diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring data faster and with exquisite ultra-sensitivity on time to take the appropriate decisions to improve personalized diagnosis and therapy. The aim of GLAM project is to provide an innovative device to fulfill these requirements using soluble biomarkers for personalized diagnosis and therapy monitoring. Specifically we will design and develop a new diagnostic tool to detect biomarkers from biofluids obtained in a noninvasive manner, specifically focusing to urine and to genitourinary cancers, to help oncologist to take better treatment decisions, approaching personalized medicine.

GLAM will develop an integrated device based on novel label-free photonic biosensors with ultra-sensitivity, simplicity of use, portability, multiplexing and low cost. GLAM capitalizes on the unprecedented sensitivity achieved using laser microring resonators to detect key biomarkers in tumor development and treatment. Point of Care of the device will be carried out by preclinical and clinical sample analysis of genitourinary cancer patients to warrant personalized medicine.

Importantly the GLAM unique technology will make the device also usable with other biofluids and might also be used to help physicians with other biomarker driven.