March is Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month, a time dedicated to highlighting the importance of early detection and prevention in combating one of the most prevalent and life-threatening cancers worldwide. Against this backdrop, Protavio is proud to share its work on the DIOPTRA project, a Horizon Europe-funded initiative committed to transforming CRC screening and ultimately improving patient outcomes. Bringing together industry experts, research institutions, and clinical sites, DIOPTRA integrates protein biomarker discovery, broader risk-factor analysis (including medical history and lifestyle), and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to identify high-risk individuals and boost participation rates beyond traditional age-based screening.
Protavio’s core contribution to the DIOPTRA project lies in its mechanism-based biomarker discovery, using advanced technologies like Olink and Luminex to find novel protein markers that differentiate healthy people from those with advanced neoplastic findings or confirmed CRC. This work reflects Protavio’s commitment to sophisticated, biology-driven research that refines diagnostic tools and supports more accurate, timely intervention.
In a recent video interview, Dr. Christos Fotis, Protavio’s Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), delves into this mission and the hurdles of creating innovative screening methods. He explains how Protavio’s multi-omics pipeline that encompasses proteomics (blood samples) and transcriptomics (tissue samples collected during colonoscopy), ultimately ensures that identified biomarkers are both statistically robust and mechanistically tied to the progression of CRC. By anchoring DIOPTRA’s findings in the underlying biology of CRC itself, this approach holds promise for more reliable, clinically relevant screening solutions.
Dr. Fotis also highlights the progress Protavio has made in refining instrumentation, protocols, and a pilot study focused on oncology-related biomarkers, to confirm the pipeline’s reliability. These steps lay the groundwork for large-scale analyses in which thousands of additional biomarkers will be measured. Protavio’s certification for Olink Proteomics technology, and successful completion of concordance tests with parallel experiments at Olink’s main facility in Uppsala, help ensure that any discoveries made in DIOPTRA meet stringent quality standards and can translate into robust clinical applications. By measuring thousands of potential markers in the discovery phase and applying computational analyses, the team aims to zero in on those proteins whose altered expression in the blood reflects changes in the cancerous tissue. This refined, mechanism-based filtering helps prioritize the most relevant biomarkers, ultimately paving the way for improved CRC screening and earlier interventions.