Ignite Proteomics LLC, a subsidiary of IMAC Holdings, announced a one-year research collaboration with Vanderbilt University Medical Centre (VUMC) to characterise protein-signalling pathways that help breast-tumour cells evade the immune system. Under the agreement, VUMC will provide de-identified formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumour tissue from patients undergoing standard of care chemotherapy and immunotherapy, while Ignite will perform laser-capture micro-dissection and high-throughput RPPA analysis of priority immune and signalling biomarkers, including validation of those previously shown to be beneficial in identifying patients who need immunotherapy to achieve a cure.

“Partnering with VUMC’s world-class immuno-oncology team allows us to deploy our RPPA platform on rigorously annotated clinical samples,” said Faith Zaslavsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ignite Proteomics. “By quantifying many immune-checkpoint and signalling proteins simultaneously, we aim to illuminate mechanisms of response and resistance that genomic and single protein tests alone cannot capture.”

Dr. Justin Balko, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator at VUMC, added: “This collaborative study gives us a unique window into tumour–immune interactions in breast cancer. Ignite’s pathway-level protein read-outs should accelerate our search for actionable biomarkers that can refine immunotherapy strategies and combination regimens.”