Grant: Proof of Principle Program - Phase I

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in both the United States and Canada. While this is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer when detected at its early stages, men and women aged 50 years or older need to be screened routinely. However, there is reluctance of patients to invasive physical exams such as colonoscopies and the detection rate of cancers at their early stages with the current non-invasive diagnostic methods is still poor. There is therefore an important need for the development of non-invasive tests to increase the accessibility and sensitivity of colorectal cancer screening. The present invention proposes the use of integrin alpha 6 mRNA and protein as markers to diagnose colorectal cancer from stool samples and in turn, it perfectly suits the market trends. We are confident that the financial support requested herein to address this proposal will confirm the feasibility of this approach of using the integrin alpha 6 subunits in conjunction with other markers at the mRNA and/or protein levels for the early detection of colorectal cancer and will contribute to further developing the technology toward a clinical application. This should have a positive impact on the economic burden associated with the pathology and on the quality of life of early diagnosed patients.