Leading academic medical centre in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Samsung Medical Center (SMC) is collaborating with scientists and doctors from various institutes in Singapore, to develop the world's first clinically reliable and robust platform that will significantly improve the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver cancer.

This multi-institutional effort involves A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), and National University of Singapore (NUS).

The new platform will provide reliable and robust patient-specific diagnostic and predictive data in a clinically relevant timeframe of three weeks versus the typical three to four months.

Patient-derived HCC tumour samples will contribute to genomic integration, in vivo model studies and drug screening data. It will be validated to deliver precision analysis and revolutionise liver cancer treatment to improve patient outcomes.

The collaboration leverages the strengths of current programmes in both countries - mainly the Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme for Liver Cancer in Singapore, and the Refractory Cancer Research Programme of SMC, called AVATAR platform, in the Republic of Korea.

The team aims to set up a joint lab with SMC that is based in Singapore and commence research collaborations with industry for drug development within two years.