Blood Biopsy / en Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care /news/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics-receives-additional-commitment-louis-v-gerstner-jr-advance <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 13 Nov 2023 19:58:41 +0000 leah@broadinstitute.org 5555991 at ӳý Discovery Center in Cambridge opens to the public this October /news/broad-discovery-center-cambridge-opens-public-october <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:53:09 +0000 kzusi@broadinstitute.org 1195701 at New technique improves detection of cancer DNA in blood /news/new-technique-improves-detection-cancer-dna-blood <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 17 Mar 2022 17:30:20 +0000 kzusi@broadinstitute.org 1127891 at Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence /news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 13 Mar 2020 14:09:26 +0000 kzusi@broadinstitute.org 627566 at Liquid biopsies reveal genetic alterations linked to cancer drug resistance /news/liquid-biopsies-reveal-genetic-alterations-linked-cancer-drug-resistance <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 09 Sep 2019 14:24:17 +0000 ndavis@broadinstitute.org 605906 at ӳý launches Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics /news/broad-institute-launches-gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 19 Feb 2019 22:15:27 +0000 David Cameron 462366 at New techniques give blood biopsies greater promise /news/new-techniques-give-blood-biopsies-greater-promise <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New method improves accuracy of DNA sequencing 1000-fold to detect rare genetic mutations</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/new-technique-improves-detection-cancer-dna-blood" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/news/new-technique-improves-detection-cancer-dna-blood"><picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/news/images/2022/MAESTRO%20Blood%20Biopsy_x3.jpg?h=f297c200&amp;itok=5b9aVepE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source 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about="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence"><picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=PZ-vJT62 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=PZ-vJT62 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 06 Nov 2017 10:06:24 +0000 kzusi@broadinstitute.org 135421 at Blood biopsy offers new view of tumor evolution in multiple myeloma /news/blood-biopsy-offers-new-view-tumor-evolution-multiple-myeloma <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Leah Eisenstadt</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics receives additional commitment from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., to advance technologies that could transform cancer care</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Commitment of $20 million will propel efforts to develop, optimize, and demonstrate liquid biopsy technology along with other cancer diagnostics to enable more precise cancer care.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By ӳý Communications </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-13T14:58:41-05:00" title="Monday, November 13, 2023 - 14:58" class="datetime">November 13, 2023</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=20f77i0w 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="754" height="503"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=4umfkHeR 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="736" height="520"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=6J_L9rV0 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="641" height="451"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=p6lUI6x- 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="706" height="417"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="499" height="294"> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/GerstnerGift_v2_0.jpg?itok=lQ0uq4xi" alt="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" title="Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Juliana Sohn </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> Andela Crnjac, a research associate in the Gerstner Center, processes samples for analysis </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous"></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/1531/feed&amp;title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" 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class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New method improves accuracy of DNA sequencing 1000-fold to detect rare genetic mutations</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/new-technique-improves-detection-cancer-dna-blood" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/news/new-technique-improves-detection-cancer-dna-blood"><picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/news/images/2022/MAESTRO%20Blood%20Biopsy_x3.jpg?h=f297c200&amp;itok=5b9aVepE 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source 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(max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2022/MAESTRO%20Blood%20Biopsy_x3.jpg?h=f297c200&amp;itok=OZga7M_X 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2022/MAESTRO%20Blood%20Biopsy_x3.jpg?h=f297c200&amp;itok=OZga7M_X" alt="Ricardo Job-Reese, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/new-technique-improves-detection-cancer-dna-blood" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New technique improves detection of cancer DNA in blood</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="field__item"><article about="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-ct-sidebar-link-with-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence"><picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=PZ-vJT62 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop_xl/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=PZ-vJT62 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/jpeg" width="104" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_desktop/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=aHN89caK 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/jpeg" width="87" height="104"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_tablet/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=crjC1mby 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/jpeg" width="285" height="186"> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/jpeg" width="220" height="186"> <img loading="eager" width="220" height="186" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_sidebar_link_with_image_phone/public/news/images/2020/BloodBiopsy_v3.jpg?h=d3e04ee7&amp;itok=C_6LW4rk" alt="Susanna M. Hamilton, ӳý Communications" typeof="foaf:Image"> </picture></a> </div> </article> </div> <div class="node__content"> <a href="/news/personalized-blood-biopsies-demonstrate-potential-early-warning-signal-breast-cancer-recurrence" class="node__title"><span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Personalized blood biopsies demonstrate potential as early-warning signal of breast cancer recurrence</span> </a> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The ӳý of MIT and Harvard has received a new $20 million commitment by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., former CEO and chairman of the board of IBM Corporation, and former chairman of the board of directors of the ӳý. This commitment to the <a href="/node/450321">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a> includes $10 million for current support for the Center and $10 million in endowed funding, adding to the $15 million originally committed by Gerstner and an initial endowment of $10 million from the Eli &amp; Edythe ӳý Foundation to <a href="/node/462366">establish the Center in 2019</a>.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="/node/14861">Viktor Adalsteinsson</a>, the Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics aims to advance <a href="/node/495171">liquid biopsies</a> for cancer detection and monitoring and other innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics that could potentially benefit millions of patients worldwide. Liquid biopsies enable clinicians to find and analyze tumor DNA in a patient’s blood sample to detect cancer early, monitor cancer recurrence, assess the patient’s response to treatment, and measure other clinically important features in real time, without invasive procedures. The initial focus of the Gerstner Center is to develop an ultrasensitive liquid biopsy test to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) — the presence of tumor cells in the body after treatment. Doing so would guide treatment decisions, such as whether to continue therapy.</p> <p>"We always knew that detecting cancer recurrence with a blood test would be an incredible feat, and the scientists in the Gerstner Center have risen to the challenge," said <a href="/node/7598">Todd Golub</a>, director of the ӳý and faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "This generous additional commitment recognizes this team’s incredible progress, and will enable them to expand on these efforts and make an even bigger impact on the field."</p> <p>Adalsteinsson added, “With the continued visionary partnership of Lou Gerstner, we can expand on the kind of high-risk, high-reward work that in our first few years has begun to establish and advance technologies of transformative potential for cancer patients.”</p> <p>Although liquid biopsies could profoundly improve cancer care, they still need to be much more sensitive to reliably and accurately detect cancer at its earliest stages, identify MRD before relapse, and uncover clinically significant features that could inform cancer care. Since its launch, the Gerstner Center has been initially focused on improving liquid biopsies for MRD detection, which requires much higher levels of sensitivity. The challenge, however, is twofold — they are seeking not only to improve the sensitivity of the test, but to do so in a way that keeps costs down, a necessary step to make it an accessible tool in clinical settings.</p> <p>To overcome these hurdles, Gerstner Center scientists developed a method called MAESTRO, which detects low-abundance mutations using up to 100-fold less sequencing. The team is using MAESTRO to test for thousands of cancer mutations in a patient’s blood draw to achieve 10- to 100-fold higher sensitivity for MRD detection than existing methods. The MRD test is being used to analyze hundreds of samples from cancer patients, with <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00801-3/pdf" target="_blank">promising data</a> showing its ability to discern which patients respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Earlier this year, the ӳý entered into an agreement with Exact Sciences to further develop the MAESTRO MRD test for clinical use. Such a test could help physicians detect recurrences earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapy to each patient.</p> <p>In addition to MAESTRO, Gerstner Center scientists have developed other promising new technologies, including <a href="/node/1281991">CODEC</a>, a technique that helps generate highly accurate sequencing data at low cost. The approach has potential uses beyond cancer diagnostics, and indeed, in other diseases beyond cancer. In addition, the team developed Duplex-Repair, a novel DNA repair method that could further enhance the accuracy of CODEC and MAESTRO, along with other sequencing methods.</p> <p>The researchers are also developing, together with the labs of Sangeeta Bhatia and J. Christopher Love at MIT, the first priming agents for liquid biopsies. These are injections given to a patient prior to a blood draw to boost the amount of tumor DNA recovered from a blood sample, enabling increased sensitivity.</p> <p>The additional commitment from Gerstner will allow the Gerstner Center to continue optimizing its MRD test; to push DNA sequencing to its limits using CODEC, Duplex-Repair, and other advances; to further develop priming agents that could enable more sensitive liquid biopsy testing; and to continue innovating to address other major unmet needs in cancer diagnostics.</p> <p>“I first partnered with the ӳý to launch the Gerstner Center in order to impact clinical care for cancer patients, and I’ve been pleased to see that Viktor and his team have created an engine of innovation that could transform not only cancer treatment but possibly other fields as well,” said Gerstner. “That is why I’ve chosen to double down on this partnership and I am excited to see what emerges from the Center’s next phase.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/gerstner-center-cancer-diagnostics" hreflang="en">Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/blood-biopsy" hreflang="en">Blood Biopsy</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 02 Nov 2016 17:48:05 +0000 leah@broadinstitute.org 13721 at