The PROACTIVE consortium granted € 3M- To develop a unique high throughput plasma biomarker research platform

UPPSALA, Sweden - February 16, 2009 – Identification of biomarkers indicative of disease states and outcomes are actively pursued around the world in both academia and industry. The term “proactive diagnostics” has been coined to reflect a desire to shift from the current “reactive diagnostics” to early stage disease detection where many diseases, especially cancer, are at their most curable stage. To enable this vision, screening tests with high specificity (few false positives) and high sensitivity (few false negatives) are needed. Multi-marker approaches are essential for success in such a heterogeneous disease as cancer. These tests are anticipated to eventually enable early detection by screening high-risk populations and/or populations of asymptomatic individuals. Another critical application in need of powerful biomarker analyses is patient management through disease stratification, eventually leading to personalized medicine. The capability to analyze multiple low abundant protein biomarkers in plasma is a key technical step towards these analytical goals.

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