Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
PORTRAIT’S AIM
To thoroughly understand the characteristics of the tumor and the microbiota present in the tumor, intestines, and skin, to help the oncologist identify which patient can benefit from neoadjuvant therapy and which will not respond, avoiding unnecessary treatments.
Integrating predictive tools with innovative findings
- Incorporate tumor, TME, inflammatory status, and microbiota interactions into patient stratification methods.
- Utilize a multi-omic approach, including proteomics, metabolomics, and volatilomics.
- Aim to construct an “Identity Card” distinguishing responders and non-responders to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).
Developing Non-invasive Predictive Tool
- Create a non-invasive tool using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to identify therapy responders.
- Apply a sweat patch directly on the tumor area to collect relevant VOCs.
- Analyze patient VOC profiles to discriminate between responders and non-responders and monitor treatment progress.
Investigating microbiota’s functional role in therapy response
- Explore microbiota’s impact on therapy response using patient-derived 3D models.
- Understand how microbiota influence drug absorption, metabolism, and immunity.
- Investigate personalized solutions like probiotics or antibiotics supplementation to enhance treatment effectiveness.
PORTRAIT CONSORTIUM
IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Inserm, Regional northwest agency (PRISM)
IRCCS Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di
Aviano (CRO)
National cancer
Institute
Hadassah Medical
Organisation (HMO)
Foundation for Biosanitary Research in Eastern Andalusia (FIBAO)
University of
Heidelberg (UHEI)
Emerging needs for patients treated with Neoadjuvant therapy
Why we have created PORTRAIT project?
Neoadjuvant therapy is now the usual treatment for patients with large tumors and a low tumor burden, especially those with Triple Negative or HER2+ breast cancer who need chemotherapy when diagnosed. However, only 40% to 60% of patients with these types achieve complete tumor disappearance after therapy.
VARIABILITY
Variability in tumor response to Neoadjuvant therapy poses challenges in predicting patient benefits.
PROGNOSIS
Identifying accurate predictors of treatment response remains a significant challenge in personalized cancer care.
MICROENVIROMENT INFLUENCE
Uncover tumor and bodily factors influencing treatment response.
Do you have any question?
Feel free to contact us anytime.
PORTRAIT project at “Focus on TOP”: driving innovation in precision medicine
The PORTRAIT project is honored to have participated in the “Focus on TOP” symposium (Udine, March 17 – 18, 2025), a premier event dedicated to advancing precision medicine in breast cancer. Held over two days, this dynamic gathering brought together leading experts, researchers, and clinicians to discuss cutting-edge innovations in breast cancer management. (here the…
New scientific publication by University of Navarra
Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is the primary treatment for reducing breast cancer tumor size before surgery. However, predicting how tumors respond varies based on patient factors. To enhance personalized care, we’re developing a machine learning (ML) model. It combines imaging and molecular data to forecast NAT response. Our model uses two stages: first, a non-invasive MRI…
ERA PerMed funds PORTRAIT project
The international multicenter project coordinated by IRST IRCCS thanks to a ERA PerMed funding, intends to deepen the knowledge on the interaction between microbiota, tumor, drugs and how this can be found in the volatile component of sweat Can smell be a useful characteristic for defining personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that are both effective…
The voice of the partners
Dr. Francesca Pirini – Project coordinator (IRST-IRCCS)
