Irkutsk residents participate in the invention of the liver cancer test

The Regional Cancer Center was once again visited by a delegation from the University of Grenoble - Alpes and the Grenoble University Hospital Center -Alpes.

On November 16-19, scientists and doctors from Grenoble work in Irkutsk. Among them is the director of the analytical immunology of chronic pathologies laboratory of the Institute of Advanced Biosciences, University of Grenoble-Alpes, Mr. Patrice Marsh and members of his scientific team:
– Alexey Grishin, medical optician physicist, researcher at the Institute of Advanced Biosciences, University of Grenoble-Alpes;
– Thomas Dean, head of the hepato-gastroenterology department, Grenoble University Hospital Center - Alpes, oncologist, professor at the University of Grenoble-Alpes;
– Charlotte Constantin, physician, hepato-gastroenterology department, Grenoble University Hospital Center – Alpes, professor at the University of Grenoble-Alpes;
– Gael Roth, physician, hepato-gastroenterology department, Grenoble University Hospital Center - Alpes, professor at the University of Grenoble-Alpes.

Let us remind you that two universities, the Irkutsk Medical University and the Grenoble University, are implementing a joint project for three years now, the main and very ambitious task of which is to invent and implement a blood test for early diagnosis of liver cancer.

“This test will be able to answer the question of whether a person is at risk of developing such tumor and should he seek serious and specialized medical care. Since this is a research project, you need to understand that at its first stage is about the formation of the idea itself. Today we can say that our hypothesis has been fully confirmed, and now we are moving on to the second stage: the search for specific testing methods,” says Mr. Marsh. “Over the three years of this joint project we have tried various approaches and methodologies. The Regional Cancer Center is the clinical base of the Irkutsk State Medical University, and thanks to this we have access to patients. Accordingly, the bulk of the patients, whose biological materials we analyzed and based on which we built our assumptions, are the patients of the Irkutsk Cancer Center who made this project possible. The manipulations with these biomaterials were carried out on the basis of the center.“

In addition, the project made it possible to organize a broader experience exchange between French and Irkutsk doctors. For example, several employees of the Cancer Center worked for four weeks at the Grenoble University Hospital Center - Alpes, studying the methods used there for the treatment of liver cancer and transplantation of this organ.

The purpose of the current visit of the French to Irkutsk is to, once again, evaluate all the results and results of joint work and draw up plans for future scientific research. The high motivation of the French side of the project is evidenced by the fact, that they ventured on such a long journey during the pandemic.