The IHU RespirERA is proud to be part of the CURE project, an innovative initiative that aims to transform the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through a simple blood test (known as a liquid biopsy).
NSCLC accounts for nearly 90% of all lung cancers. Despite significant progress in immunotherapy, response rates remain low and difficult to predict. The challenge is therefore to anticipate, for each patient, whether this type of treatment will be truly effective.
However, conventional biopsies, often invasive and difficult to perform, do not always allow for precise and personalized monitoring of the disease.
The CURE project relies on an innovative approach: collecting key information about the tumor through a simple blood draw. This liquid biopsy makes it possible to detect, in real time, circulating tumor cells, tumor DNA, specific proteins, and immune cells. These complex data are then analyzed by artificial intelligence algorithms to identify a unique biological signature that can predict response to immunotherapy, helping guide treatment decisions more effectively.
The IHU RespirERA plays a central role in this project through the expertise of Professor Paul Hofman, Director of the institute, and of the Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology (LPCE) at Nice University Hospital. The institute contributes in particular to the analysis of circulating tumor DNA, a key element in defining blood-based biomarkers from liquid biopsy.
The project is being developed in two stages: a discovery phase involving 60 patients (from the ALCINA2 study), followed by a validation phase on a second cohort. This rigorous methodology ensures the robustness of the results with a view to future clinical application.
Funded by the ARC Foundation, this collaborative project paves the way for more effective personalized medicineand represents a tangible step forward for patients with lung cancer.
