January 25, 2022 -- Illumina and National Cancer Center Japan are collaborating on an international joint research project that will use Illumina's high-throughput DNA sequencing to analyze the blood-based genomic profile and clinical information of patients living with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
The study will be part of the Asian Multicenter Prospective Study of Circulating Tumor DNA Sequencing (A-TRAIN). One of the main research areas of A-TRAIN is nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
The study will be conducted as part of an international collaborative study under the Asian Clinical Trials Network for Cancers project, which aims to accelerate the implementation of clinical research and develop personalized treatments. The overall project includes research involving patients with cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, ovarian clear cell carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, endometrial cancer, and breast cancer.
In the joint study to be conducted by Illumina and National Cancer Center Japan, genomic analysis of blood samples of up to 96 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer will be analyzed using Illumina's TruSight Oncology 500 circulating tumor DNA. A database will be constructed and analyzed by examining genomic abnormalities by liquid biopsy in addition to clinical information, such as treatment details and prognosis.
The resulting data will be used by the Japan-led initiative to establish a platform for international collaborative trials with Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, which are actively promoting cancer treatment development in the southeastern Asian region.
No financial details of the collaboration were disclosed.