image: From left to right, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Rebecca Richards-Kortum and Tomasz Tkaczyk.
Credit: Photo provided by Rice University.
The Center for Innovation and Translation of POC Technologies for Equitable Cancer Care (CITEC) hosted its inaugural convening Nov. 11-12 at Rice University, marking a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to advance health equity in cancer care. The event brought together leading minds in engineering, oncology and global health to foster collaboration and recognize achievements within CITEC’s community. During the convening, presenters highlighted priority areas and showcased groundbreaking research alongside novel point-of-care (POC) solutions aimed at transforming cancer detection and treatment worldwide. The gathering emphasized CITEC’s commitment to leading innovations in health and creating accessible, lifesaving technologies for diverse populations in the U.S. and around the globe.
“Cancer is a leading cause of premature death globally with cases expected to rise 50% from 2018 to 2040, disproportionately impacting countries with a lack of resources and infrastructure to adequately care for cancer patients,” said Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy, professor of medicine in gastroenterology, vice president and senior associate dean of global programs at Baylor College of Medicine and co-principal investigator of CITEC. “The World Health Organization recommends early detection and prevention programs at the primary care level, yet existing tests are often too complex or costly for these settings, leaving many underserved areas without adequate cancer detection.”
CITEC is funded by the Point-of-Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN), established by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CITEC is a global collaboration dedicated to developing accessible POC technologies for early cancer detection and treatment.
“Early cancer diagnosis can save lives, yet traditional testing methods are often too complex, costly and inaccessible in low-resource settings,” said Dr. Ana Paula Refinetti, breast surgeon and associate professor of breast surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “The development of simple, point-of-care technologies for cancers such as oral, cervical, breast and gastrointestinal — those that disproportionately impact underserved populations — holds the promise to transform cancer care for millions.”
Through three core research pillars — technology, clinical and dissemination — CITEC advances the prototyping, evaluation and deployment of POC technologies.
“CITEC is dedicated to identifying high-priority clinical needs for point-of-care technologies, asking questions like, ‘What tools are needed to improve early detection and treatment of cancer? How can we work together to develop and translate these technologies where they’re needed most?’ Our mission at CITEC is to build a collaborative environment and bring clinical insights directly to engineers and technology developers, accelerating the creation of affordable solutions that address these urgent needs,” said Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor, professor of bioengineering and electrical and computer engineering, co-director of the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies and co-PI of CITEC.
By creating tools that are easy to use, scalable and affordable, CITEC is working to bring lifesaving diagnostics to communities that lack access to advanced health care facilities. This work not only saves lives but also advances health equity, ensuring that breakthroughs in early cancer detection benefit everyone regardless of geographic or economic barriers.
A focus on global collaboration
CITEC partners span continents and disciplines and include experts from MD Anderson, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice, Hospital Central de Maputo, the Mozambique Ministry of Health, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique, Universidade de São Paulo, Barretos Cancer Hospital and Hospital de Amor in Brazil.
The keynote speakers at CITEC’s convening included a diverse lineup of leaders in bioengineering, health care innovation and public policy, who shared their visionary approaches to advancing cancer care.
Manu Prakash, associate professor of bioengineering and senior fellow at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, brought a unique perspective on community-driven science and what it takes to successfully create low-cost and scalable tools for medical diagnostics. David Zhang, CEO of Biostate AI, discussed advancements in health AI for predicting disease progression and drug response. Kara Palamountain, research professor and lecturer at Northwestern University, shared insights from her extensive experience in global health and learnings related to commercializing and scaling POC diagnostics for HIV and tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries. Emily Reiser leads strategy and new ventures at the Texas Medical Center and discussed resource opportunities for innovators at the center. Mauricio Maza, regional adviser for cancer prevention and control at the Pan American Health Organization, emphasized the importance of cervical cancer prevention and control across the Americas. Catharine Young, representing the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy under the Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, highlighted both national and international efforts in cancer prevention and bringing cutting-edge research through the pipeline to patients and communities.
Clinical needs and affordable technologies
A key theme among all speakers was the importance of incorporating local input and conducting research within the field to effectively develop low-cost POC technologies that will strengthen cancer detection and prevention efforts.
“We cannot wish our way through making affordable technologies,” said Prakash during his keynote address. “These efforts require us to deeply understand the problem, so we can understand what is truly needed on the ground.”
The meeting’s panel discussions provided an overview of advancements across various cancer types, focusing on early detection and diagnostic innovation. Experts highlighted case studies that addressed challenges in scaling up screening efforts in resource-limited settings and emphasized the importance of improving health care access. Diagnostic technologies such as microfluidics and nanoparticle-based blood assays were discussed as promising innovations for global health. Initiatives in low-cost digital pathology and equitable precision oncology were popular topics with presenters emphasizing the need for expanded access and more efficient detection methods.
“My hope is that these new technologies will enable countries to streamline cancer prevention processes, making it easier and more accessible for individuals to engage in proactive steps toward their health,” said Maza.
A critical area of need reiterated on both days of the conference was the expansion of pathology services. Experts emphasized that insufficient pathology resources lead to delays or inaccuracies in diagnoses, which in turn undermine the effectiveness of treatment programs.
“Pathology diagnostics should be a fundamental part of national strategies for universal health coverage. Yet in much of the world, these services are either nonexistent, of poor quality, delayed in delivering results or too costly for large segments of the population, leading to significant inequities in access. We must examine and address the barriers to expanding and enhancing diagnostic services globally,” said Dr. Cesaltina Lorenzoni, head of the National Cancer Control Program at the Mozambican Ministry of Health and scientific and teaching director at Maputo Central Hospital.
Conference attendees also enjoyed an immersive taste of Rice culture. After the initial day, the group dined at Valhalla, where they were entertained by Rice’s Mariachi Luna Llena . Following dinner, the group headed over to Tudor Fieldhouse to cheer on the Rice women’s basketball team as the Owls faced off against the University of South Alabama.
“By uniting our efforts, CITEC is committed to developing and delivering early cancer detection technologies to the places where they’re needed most,” said Richards-Kortum. “Our bold vision is to create an equitable global landscape where access to early detection and more effective cancer treatments leads to improved survival for all. Together, we can transform cancer care and bring hope to millions around the world.”
CITEC is funded by the Point-of-Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN), established by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under contract number 1U54EB034652-01.