Program Overview
POET is a one-of-a-kind program in personalized cancer care, or otherwise known as precision oncology
World-Class: Through the Polyomic Difference of profiling cancer beyond genomic profiling
Leading-Edge: Integrating the top microbiome centre in the world, The International Microbiome Center at the University of Calgary, into personalized cancer assessment and research. One of only three centers of its kind globally, POET is bringing the latest ground-breaking research in the cancer field to Calgary with the integration of microbiome research. Co-ordinated with the addition of metabolomics, genomics and proteomics, the POET program will lead to a higher degree of personalized cancer care.
Four Pillars of POET
Cancer Marker Discovery
The POET Polyomic Program unites oncology focused research among multiple University of Calgary science laboratories. This collaboration of research labs creates a distinguished, world-class, precision research group of experts working together to understand the full perspective of mechanisms contributing to cancer growth and metastases, beyond traditional genomics.
Through the advent of adding machine learning capabilities, or artificial intelligence (AI), POET seeks new cancer marker discoveries that influence cancer growth to develop better precision cancer treatments.
Biomarker-Directed Treatment Trials
The goal of precision oncology is to provide a personalized treatment plan where a person’s cancer has a mutation or alteration in the tumour environment (aka: biomarker). Biomarkers can be revealed by the Polyomic Biological Fingerprint Tests that profile a person’s cancer in pursuit of matching the best treatment plan.
Often with new biomarker-directed science, novel treatment is provided through small clinical trials which allow access to new therapies while providing close monitoring of the person. The POET program enables the access and availability of these types of biomarker-directed treatment trials with new therapies.
Registries for Biomarker-Driver Cancers
The use of registries are critical data to collect on how tailored treatments impact the person and the cancer. The Tom Baker Cancer Centre and University of Calgary have demonstrated world-class capability to develop databases & registries. These disease outcomes data greatly benefit the global understanding of tailored cancer therapies prescribed in the “real-world” cancer clinic setting.
POET program includes collaborations with the established registries in Alberta, industry and non-industry partners to develop databases specific to people whose cancer has an identified tumor biomarker, be-it a mutation or alterations in the tumour environment to track the progress of personalized treatment. These data can be used to further advance curative treatment innovation and provide positive experience data to secure provincial cancer drug funding.
POET 500 Profile Study
Yes POET Polyomics is a mainstay of the POET program, there are a lot of advancements in molecular genomics and new treatment that require special attention.
POET 500 Program in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) profiling is a large-scale, multi-opportunity access channel for genomic cancer testing and the advancement of technology in this area. POET 500 Program includes NGS profile testing in both tumour and circulating tumour cells in the blood (also called liquid biopsy).
POET 500 offers access to NGS profile testing through a variety of research trials and sponsored programs so that people and oncologists do not need to seek NGS testing outside of Canada.
All POET 500 Program projects offer NGS testing in real-time to have the genomic profiling results ready-for-use towards timely treatment decision making between the person and oncologist at the cancer clinic.