Alberto J. Schuhmacher receives the III Innovation Project Award for the early detection of lung cancer

The Aragonese project “Virtual biopsy: non-invasive diagnosis of lung cancer using immunoguided imaging” has won this award, organized by the Lung Ambition Alliance.

The study, chosen from 12 proposals, will obtain funding of 30.000 euros and has stood out for its potential for novelty and transfer to our health system..

The ARAID researcher Alberto J. Schuhmacher, head of the Molecular Oncology group at IIS Aragón, has obtained the Award for Innovation Projects for the early detection of Lung Cancer organized by the Lung Ambition Alliance, an AstraZeneca initiative. In its third edition, this award will finance the project “Virtual biopsy: diagnosis of lung cancer non-invasively through immunoguided imaging” with an endowment of 30.000 euros.

Precisely, this award was presented yesterday afternoon within the framework of the third Together Now meeting of the Lung Ambition Alliance at the Royal Tapestry Factory Foundation of Madrid. Alberto J. Schuhmacher was accompanied by the Minister of Health of the Government of Aragon, José Luis Bancalero; Ángel Lanas, scientific director IIS Aragón; Óscar López, executive director IIS Aragón and Eva López, coordinator of the Clinical Research Unit. 

Schuhmacher's project has been awarded after the evaluation of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the call and the panel of evaluators made up of experts in research and innovation, among the 12 projects presented, standing out for its scientific-technical solidity and its potential for novelty and transfer to our health system. Precisely, this project arises with the objective of identifying markers in molecular imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy and distinguish between benign and malignant lesions through the development of Nbs-based nanoimmunotracers against two biomarkers to support the diagnosis of lung cancer.

The "omics" revolution in cancer has revealed clinically relevant alterations that are not yet integrated into the management of patients due, in part, to the lack of biomarkers for non-invasive imaging. An innovative option is "immunodirected imaging" which combines the selectivity and specificity of antibodies against a tumor marker with non-invasive imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET). The “immunoPET” is equivalent to performing the diagnosis and non-invasive monitoring of patients over time as if it were a full-body, 3D immunohistochemistry, in vivo and quantifiable it was. As if it were a "virtual biopsy."

As Alberto J. Schuhmacher himself points out: “with the virtual biopsy we intend to obtain part of the information obtained from a biopsy and its analysis under a microscope in the laboratory, but through an image for which we use a scanner . “This image not only tells us about the anatomy of the tumor, but also reveals its vulnerabilities, which will help us propose optimal treatments.” This technology is based on the development and modification of antibodies. Precisely, the researcher wanted remember Dr. José Baselga, one of his scientific heroes, who was global director of R&D for AstraZeneca's oncology area and the first to opt for virtual biopsy.

“We have developed nanoantibodies that act as contrast agents and stick to a tumor if and only if they present a specific biomarker. Being able to see it with a scanner gives us clues about its biology and vulnerabilities," says the researcher for whom science either has a social purpose or is not science. "Carlos López Otín often reminds me that anyone who comes to the laboratory in search of health and of knowledge is more important than the most important of my experiments. This project was born from the search for knowledge of Michel Vallés and his friendship. I would like to dedicate this important recognition to him and his family. Although science could not find a definitive answer to his health problem in time, hopefully we can impact the lives of many people!”, notes Schuhmacher.