A Sudbury medical researcher has been recognized for his work related to fine-tuning treatment for breast cancer patients.
Dr. Amadeo Parissenti, a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Laurentian University in Sudbury, received the 2018-2019 Research Excellence Award during the school’s annual Research Week celebrations.
Parissenti and his company, Rna Diagnostics, devised the RNA disruption assay tool, which helps monitor the progress of the use of chemotherapy, after one round before surgery, to determine if the treatment is working or not, to allow patients and medical personnel to determine the best course of action.
The tool is currently the subject of an international clinical trial, involving 725 patients with aggressive breast cancer, to weigh the test’s ability to predict, early in treatment, complete tumour destruction and improved survival for patients with breast cancer.
The company announced last November it had received $5 million in funding to proceed with the trial.
The goal is to help health-care providers offer the most effective treatments with minimal side effects.
“Dr. Amadeo Parissenti has attained an exceptional level of research excellence,” said Dr. Rizwan Haq, Laurentian’s interim vice-president of research at Laurentian University, in a March 27 news release.
“His work in cancer treatment has the potential to help not only reduce harmful and ineffective treatments, but also improve the quality of life, and increase survival rates in cancer patients.”
