Surface Plasmon Early Detection of Circulation Heat Shock Proteins (SPEDOC)

SPEDOC is a recently started (January 2010) research initiative financially supported by the European Commission's 7th research Framework programme. SPEDOC aims at combining the latest advances of nano-optics, optical manipulation and microfluidics with recent discoveries about Heat shock Proteins (HSP) to develop the precursor of future individualized cancer diagnosis and treatment follow-up devices.

The developed platform, integrated in a microfluidic environment, will exploit the surface plasmon resonances supported by micro and nano- gold nanostructures.

(i) to track HSP70 proteins in the peripheral blood and
(ii) monitor its over expression at the surface of cancer cells.

This innovative platform should also permit providing treatment to cancer patients at an earlier stage and at lower doses with the consequent decrease of secondary effects.

SPEDOC counts with the collaborative participation of five research institutions and companies from France, Switzerland and Spain; Institute of Photonic Sciences, Université de Bourgogne, Institut National de la Santé el de la Recherché Médicale, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and Imagine Optic Spain S.L.