SRI, along with research partners Foothold Labs and Triple Ring Technologies and commercial partner Beacon Dx Health, has been awarded up to $34 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop technology as part of the POSEIDON (Platform Optimizing SynBio for Early Intervention and Detection in Oncology) program. This pioneering program aims to create at-home cancer screening tests capable of detecting more than 30 different cancer types in their early stages.
“Early, affordable, and accessible cancer detection has the potential to save millions of lives, and we’re proud to work with ARPA-H and our partners to bring this innovation into people’s homes,” said SRI CEO David Parekh. “The POSEIDON program represents another milestone in SRI’s legacy of making a positive impact in the world, building on decades of developing diagnostics and treatments for cancer and other diseases.”
SRI researchers are working with a team of experts to develop and commercialize this technology: Foothold Labs will adapt its diagnostic testing platform; Triple Ring Technologies will apply bio engineering best practices to accelerate development; and Beacon DX Health, an SRI spinout, will drive commercial viability from day one. This collaborative approach builds on SRI’s long history of developing deep technology and delivering solutions that impact people’s lives.
SRI, through POSEIDON, will offer an entirely new scientific approach by giving people an affordable, easy-to-use, at-home method to detect metabolic products of cancerous tissues before those tissues have had significant opportunity to grow or metastasize.
“Teaming up with ARPA-H to bring affordable and reliable early cancer screening to millions of people is a testament to science and our passion to address cancer.” — Kathlynn Brown
SRI’s work on POSEIDON is centered around its FOX Three platform, which enables researchers to discover Molecular Guidance Systems (MGS) that bind to specific types of cancer cells. These MGS can deliver a biological payload into cells, triggering the secretion of specific molecules if cancer exists. Those molecules can then be detected in urine by using an affordable, easy-to-use sensor device test.
As part of the SRI-led team, Foothold Labs will adapt its rapid diagnostic testing platform using biosensors, AI, and machine learning to detect the molecules in urine. Its NanoRev™ device will be adapted into an at-home cancer test by integrating its modified thin-film electrochemical sensors into a small cartridge and providing associated analytics. “ARPA-H’s POSEIDON program is a natural fit for Foothold’s mission to bring laboratory-quality testing where it is needed most — cancer biomarker detection,” said Sean McIntosh, CEO of Foothold Labs and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer.
“The ability to target cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed is at the heart of this program,” said Kathlynn Brown, President of SRI’s Biosciences Division. “SRI’s expertise in developing cancer-specific peptides spans two decades, focusing on a wide range of therapeutics, imaging agents, and diagnostics. Teaming up with ARPA-H to bring affordable and reliable early cancer screening to millions of people is a testament to science and our passion to address cancer.”
SRI’s FOX Three platform can be used for diagnosis or treatment by delivering payloads to targeted cells while avoiding healthy tissues. The MGS is rapidly drawn into the targeted cells it binds to, carrying its payload. The payload can include a wide variety of cargos, such as protein toxins, antibodies, nucleic acids (DNA/RNA), liposomes, or nanoparticles. While many FOX Three applications have been focused on therapeutics, including recent work on RNA cancer therapy, the platform also plays a role in diagnostics. SRI researchers have developed over 50 different MGS that target 20 different cell types.
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