College Collaborates with Duke
A partnership between Duke University and the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix has led to a new procurement contract and development of REDI-Dx, a test system designed to determine individualized levels of absorbed radiation from a blood sample.
DxTerity Diagnostics partnered with the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix's Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine and Duke University Cancer Institute with funding from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to produce the REDI-Dx test, which measures the relative expression of a panel of multiple genes, and then uses a proprietary algorithm to estimate absorbed dose.
“Our ex-vivo irradiated human blood and radiotherapy patient samples combined with our integrated workflow processing and the partnership with Duke’s discovery work for biodosimetric signatures and DxTerity assay chemistry kits have been instrumental to reaching this major milestone,” said Frederic Zenhausern, PhD, MBA, director of the Center and professor in the Basic Medical Sciences Department at the UA College of Medicine.
Dr. Zenhausern directs a dozen researchers to create platforms that can translate molecular analysis into medical uses for better diagnoses and treatments of diseases. The heart of the Center’s work in rapid DNA forensics integrating of biomarkers panel assay kits into microfluidic cartridges and capillary electrophoresis has been an enabling technology for point-of-care diagnostics of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
At the Center’s state-of-the-art facilities, scientists build devices on micro- and nano- scales for academic, clinical and industrial users. Electrical and processing engineers on staff create circuit board prototypes, electronic assembly and plastic devices. The team of biologists provide molecular biology research and assay chemistries kit development.
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About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
The college has embarked on our strategic plan for 2025 to 2030. Learn more.