Bene Ekine-Afolabi
Founder and CEO, ZEAB Therapeutic Ltd.
A life sciences research company is driving innovation in colorectal cancer, highlighting the need for new applications of existing mutation profiling technologies.
The worldwide burden of cancer affects upwards of 244.6 million people, making innovations in oncology diagnosis, treatment and management essential to improving patient outcomes, enhancing quality of life and reducing oncology mortality rates. With the global burden of cancer growing, research institutions are prioritising advanced diagnostics, effective treatments and comprehensive management strategies.
Innovative colorectal cancer therapies
ZEAB Therapeutic is a life sciences research company focused on developing innovative cancer therapies, their main therapeutic focus being colorectal cancer. Bene Ekine-Afolabi, Founder and CEO of ZEAB Therapeutic, discusses the importance of early detection and treatment to improve patient outcomes.
“We are a life science research company looking at drug development for colorectal cancer. Our mission is to undertake life science research for the development of cancer therapy,” she says. “We are investigating new diagnostics and are continually advocating for less invasive, highly sensitive diagnostic techniques for a lesser cost.”
Working in collaboration with Cresset Discovery Services, UK and Human Metabolomics Technology, USA, the life sciences company is leveraging cutting-edge technologies to tackle colorectal cancer.
One of the biggest challenges with cancer today is the resistance to treatment and the recurrence.
Technology enhances personalised cancer treatment
The integration of technologies like the MassARRAY system from AgenaBioscience, in genetic analysis, offers precise mutation profiling, which can guide the development of much more personalised treatment plans, improving the success of many cancer therapies. A mass spectrometry-based system, the technology can test for a multitude of genetic markers and has become a powerful tool for genetic analysis and tumour mutation detection.
“With the multiplex MassARRAY system, you can detect clinically relevant biomarkers in one to two days. It is a rapid, highly sensitive (allowing for detection of low mutation load approaching 1% VAF), and it is also economical in terms of both labour and costs involved,” explains Ekine-Afolabi. “It has previously been used in the context of lung cancer research and diagnosis, and we are looking into how this technology can be applied to other oncology therapy areas.”
Promoting early cancer detection
Board committee member and occasional chair for the SEI Symposium for Cancer, Ekine-Afolabi is driving innovations in oncology diagnostics on a large scale. “One of the biggest challenges with cancer today is the resistance to treatment and the recurrence. The conference provides an opportunity to promote less invasive cancer therapy and diagnostic techniques, such as the MassARRAY System, advocating for early detection of cancer to mitigate its negative effects on patients,” she concludes.
