In the face of a rising global cancer crisis, with a death toll of 1.3 million in 2020 and an anticipated 32% increase in cases by 20401 in Europe, the accurate profiling of cancer's genetic makeup is acritical tool in its treatment.
Increasingly, genomic profiling is being used to advance cancer treatment, utilising detailed genetic mapping to enable earlier diagnoses and personalised therapies. The essence of this lies in genome sequencing, notably through techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), which provide key insights about the nature of the disease. However, the analytical complexity of genome sequencing introduces significant uncertainties. Metrology (measurement science) is fundamental to overcome these challenges and provide confidence in data to support timely access to accurate cancer diagnostics and therapies. A new project under the European Partnership for Metrology, seeks to address these challenges.
GenomeMET, a collaborative project, is focussed on developing a robust metrological (measurement) infrastructure to support method validation and quality control at both the pre-analytical and analytical stages. The consortium, led by the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM – the Italian metrology institute) includes leading European metrology institutes, instrument manufacturers, EQA scheme providers (e.g. INSTAND, Germany), regulatory bodies, and clinical laboratories. The project will also develop reference measurement procedures for measuring genomic biomarkers. This will support improved accuracy and comparability of genomic profiling across European healthcare systems in support of Horizon Europe’s Mission on Cancer.
Beyond its clinical implications, the outcomes of the GenomeMET project have the potential to ease the economic burden of cancer, which in Europe is €141.8 billion annually (1.07 % of GDP)2, and reduce reliance on single-use diagnostic materials, thereby contributing to a more sustainable healthcare model.
Enabling wider roll out of genomic testing is not just about tackling cancer; it’s about improving the quality of life and patient outcomes, ensuring that treatments are as unique as the individuals receiving them.
“We hope that GenomeMET can help improve personalized medicine and that it can be the first of a series of projects aimed at improving NGS protocols” said Carla Divieto, the project coordinator.
By embedding metrology within genomic profiling, this project will support earlier and more accurate cancer diagnosis, alongside tailored treatment strategies, marking a significant stride towards a future where cancer treatment is not just a standard procedure but a personalised journey towards recovery.
For more information on the GenomeMET project, please visit https://www.genomemet.org/, https://www.euramet.org/research- innovation/search-research-projects/details/project/metrology-for-genomic-profiling-to-support- early-cancer-detection-and-precision-medicine and www.linkedin.com/company/genomemet/. Further inquiries or engagement opportunities can be directed to Carla Divieto (c.divieto@inrim.it) and Carole Foy (Carole.Foy@lgcgroup.com).
1 Data explorer | ECIS (europa.eu)
2The Cancer Atlas. Https://Canceratlas.Cancer.Org/Taking-Action/Economic-Burden/; 2022
PROJECT PARTNERS
Increasingly, genomic profiling is being used to advance cancer treatment, utilising detailed genetic mapping to enable earlier diagnoses and personalised therapies. The essence of this lies in genome sequencing, notably through techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), which provide key insights about the nature of the disease. However, the analytical complexity of genome sequencing introduces significant uncertainties. Metrology (measurement science) is fundamental to overcome these challenges and provide confidence in data to support timely access to accurate cancer diagnostics and therapies. A new project under the European Partnership for Metrology, seeks to address these challenges.
GenomeMET, a collaborative project, is focussed on developing a robust metrological (measurement) infrastructure to support method validation and quality control at both the pre-analytical and analytical stages. The consortium, led by the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM – the Italian metrology institute) includes leading European metrology institutes, instrument manufacturers, EQA scheme providers (e.g. INSTAND, Germany), regulatory bodies, and clinical laboratories. The project will also develop reference measurement procedures for measuring genomic biomarkers. This will support improved accuracy and comparability of genomic profiling across European healthcare systems in support of Horizon Europe’s Mission on Cancer.
Beyond its clinical implications, the outcomes of the GenomeMET project have the potential to ease the economic burden of cancer, which in Europe is €141.8 billion annually (1.07 % of GDP)2, and reduce reliance on single-use diagnostic materials, thereby contributing to a more sustainable healthcare model.
Enabling wider roll out of genomic testing is not just about tackling cancer; it’s about improving the quality of life and patient outcomes, ensuring that treatments are as unique as the individuals receiving them.
“We hope that GenomeMET can help improve personalized medicine and that it can be the first of a series of projects aimed at improving NGS protocols” said Carla Divieto, the project coordinator.
By embedding metrology within genomic profiling, this project will support earlier and more accurate cancer diagnosis, alongside tailored treatment strategies, marking a significant stride towards a future where cancer treatment is not just a standard procedure but a personalised journey towards recovery.
For more information on the GenomeMET project, please visit https://www.genomemet.org/, https://www.euramet.org/research- innovation/search-research-projects/details/project/metrology-for-genomic-profiling-to-support- early-cancer-detection-and-precision-medicine and www.linkedin.com/company/genomemet/. Further inquiries or engagement opportunities can be directed to Carla Divieto (c.divieto@inrim.it) and Carole Foy (Carole.Foy@lgcgroup.com).
1 Data explorer | ECIS (europa.eu)
2The Cancer Atlas. Https://Canceratlas.Cancer.Org/Taking-Action/Economic-Burden/; 2022
PROJECT PARTNERS
| no. | Short Name | Organisation legal full name | Country |
| 1 | INRIM | Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica | Italy |
| 2 | LNE | Laboratoire national de métrologie et d'essais | France |
| 3 | NIB | Nacionalni Institut za Biologijo | Slovenia |
| 4 | PTB | Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt | Germany |
| 5 | TUBITAK | Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu | Türkiye |
| 6 | CEA | Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives | France |
| 7 | FPO | Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia | Italy |
| 8 | INSTAND | INSTAND e.V. - Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Qualitätssicherung in medizinischen Laboratorien e.V. | Germany |
| 9 | MUG | Medizinische Universität Graz | Austria |
| 10 | UNITO | Università degli Studi di Torino | Italy |
| 11 | BIORAD | BIORAD Laboratories, Inc. | United States |
| 12 | GenQA | GenQA Ltd | United Kingdom |
| 13 | LGC | LGC Limited | United Kingdom |
| 14 | METAS | Eidgenössisches Institut für Metrologie METAS | Switzerland |
| 15 | MHRA | Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency | United Kingdom |
| 16 | ULE | University of Leeds | United Kingdom |
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