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Shimadzu Corporation (Shimadzu) and the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, a division of Providence Cancer Institute (Providence) in Portland, Oregon, have entered into a joint research agreement to apply mass spectrometry technology to develop tools for personalized cancer immunotherapeutics.

Shimadzu and Providence will develop technologies to reliably identify cancer antigens recognized by an individual’s immune system, and to analyze the pharmacokinetics of immunotherapy drugs, with the goal of bringing these novel diagnostics to early clinical application.

“Immunological therapy has emerged as an effective cancer treatment. An important part of this research is to identify clinical signatures that can predict the efficacy of immunological therapies,” said Masayuki Nishimura, Ph.D., Director – Innovation Center, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI). “This partnership will integrate Providence's leading cancer researchers and clinical resources with Shimadzu's analytical technologies to contribute to the development of these new therapies. As a global leader in immunotherapy for cancer, Providence is an ideal partner to advance the application of mass spectrometry in immune-based cancer clinical research.”

“In collaboration with Shimadzu, we want to build better diagnostics based on each patient’s unique tumor microenvironment. This will help inform clinical care with current immunotherapies, and pave the way for the next generation of personalized immunotherapeutics,” said Brian Piening, Ph.D., Technical Director, Clinical Genomics and Assistant Member, Immune Omics Laboratory at Providence.

SSI will direct this collaboration through its Innovation Center in Columbia, Maryland, and a new bioscience laboratory in Canyon Park, Bothell, Washington.

About Shimadzu Corporation

Shimadzu Corporation is a global corporation founded in 1875 which provides high technology products and solutions for several industries including analytical and measuring instruments, medical imaging, aircraft equipment and industrial machinery.
Shimadzu systems for medical diagnostic and treatment applications and new drug research and development applications help support doctors and researchers involved in protecting people's health in an ever increasing range of applications.
Visit https://www.shimadzu.com/ to learn more.

About Providence Cancer Institute

Providence Cancer Institute, a part of Providence St. Joseph Health, offers the latest in cancer services, including diagnostic, treatment, prevention, education, support and internationally-renowned research. Providence Cancer Institute is home to the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, a world-class research facility located within the Robert W. Franz Cancer Center in Portland, Oregon, and is a recognized leader in the field of cancer immunotherapy since 1993.
Visit providenceoregon.org/cancer to learn more.