BostonGene Corporation has announced a major research collaboration with Australia’s Mater Research to discover novel diagnostic biomarkers of follicular lymphoma and ultimately improve treatment for patients in the advanced stages of the disease.

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Follicular lymphoma is a type of blood cancer diagnosed in around 1,500 Australians yearly and is usually slow-growing. However, approximately 20 percent will rapidly progress after frontline therapy and have poor long-term survival.

Mater Research is an internationally recognized medical research leader committed to improving healthcare through the close collaboration of its scientists with physicians working in Mater’s network of not-for-profit hospitals in Queensland, Australia.

Led by Honorary Senior Research Fellow Dr Joshua Tobin, Mater Research will work with US-based molecular and immune profiling leader BostonGene to analyze hundreds of follicular lymphoma (FL) biopsy samples and assess the prognostic impact of changes in immune function within each tumor.

BostonGene will provide whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), comprehensive spatial proteomics and advanced analytics to develop clinically applicable RNA and protein-based biomarkers for use in clinical practice.

“Follicular lymphoma has a very variable clinical course, which is very slow to develop in some, but in other patients can progress quickly and become very difficult to treat successfully,” Dr Tobin said.

“By leveraging BostonGene’s next-generation sequencing and powerful analytics, we hope to accelerate our research identifying new biomarkers in patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma.”

“This collaboration undoubtedly has the potential to improve treatment decisions for people diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in future.”

The project is being supported by Australia’s Snowdome Foundation and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Global Scholar Award.

“We are pleased to support Mater Research in its research efforts to find optimal treatments for Mater, and ultimately all, patients with follicular lymphoma,” said Nathan Fowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer at BostonGene. “With BostonGene’s multi-faceted approach, we are excited to support Mater Research in discovering distinct characteristics that could be useful for other patients with advanced blood cancers worldwide.”

About BostonGene Corporation

BostonGene’s mission is to power healthcare’s transition to personalized medicine using AI-based molecular and immune profiling to improve the standard of care, accelerate research, and reduce overall cost of cancer care. BostonGene’s tests reveal key drivers of each tumor, including immune microenvironment properties, actionable mutations, biomarkers of response to diverse therapies, and recommended therapies. Through these comprehensive analyses, BostonGene’s tests generate a personalized roadmap for therapeutic decision-making for each cancer patient. For more information, visit BostonGene at http://www.BostonGene.com.

About Mater Research

Mater Research is a recognised leader in medical research, based in Brisbane, Australia. Its bench to bedside philosophy sees it work across Mater Health’s hospitals and health services, The University of Queensland, and the world-class Translational Research Institute (TRI). Mater Research is committed to working closely with Mater Health, Mater Education and its growing network of partners and collaborators to turn scientific discovery into the best possible treatment, care, and outcomes for patients and the broader community. For more information, visit Mater Research at www.materresearch.org.au.

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