Dr. Lucy Gilbert, Director of the MUHC鈥檚 Gynecologic Oncology Division and Women鈥檚 Health Research Unit has witnessed, for years, the gruelling chemotherapy cycles that rarely lead to cure for patients with advanced ovarian and uterine cancers. Frustrated by countless end-of-life conversations, the path forward became clear to Dr. Gilbert in 2014: 鈥淭he only way to give patients a fighting chance is through early detection, before it鈥檚 too late.鈥�
After 10 years of relentless research and development, Dr. Gilbert has developed an accurate, high-throughput, and user-friendly test that detects minute levels of cancer DNA at the earliest stages of disease. However, transforming a complex research innovation into a commercially available medical test demands business expertise, strategic guidance and financial resources. Determined to make her test the standard of care, Dr. Gilbert was awarded the 91丝瓜视频 Innovation Fund鈥檚 $100,000 Desjardins Deploy prize in February 2025.
DOvEEgene: Identifying cancer early, at the source
Dr. Gilbert and her team are driven by the patients they see every day. 鈥淲e are clinicians and scientists,鈥� Dr. Gilbert expressed. 鈥淲e鈥檙e constantly witnessing suffering and death, and every day we come face-to-face with people who need our help.鈥�
Combined, uterine and ovarian cancers account for the third most frequent cancer diagnoses in North American women, and lead to prolonged treatment with gradually declining quality of life. Despite advances in treatments, these cancers are the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. 鈥淭his is largely due to the nature of the high-grade, aggressive subtypes of these cancers鈥�, Dr. Gilbert explained. 鈥淭hese cancerous cells break away from the primary tumor and spread throughout the abdominal cavity before forming a detectable lump or entering the bloodstream.鈥� By the time symptoms appear, the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, where cure is unlikely, even with modern treatment innovations.
For Dr. Gilbert, it was clear that inventing the DOvEEgene test - a tool to detect uterine and ovarian cancers before symptoms appear 鈥� was the only way to ease the burden these diseases impose on women and their loved ones. DOvEEgene is a modified Pap test that samples the uterus, the site where cancer cells from the ovary and uterus collect, to find cells indicative of hidden cancers. DNA from these cells is sequenced to identify mutations commonly found in ovarian and uterine cancers. The resulting data is complex and requires interpretation by a proprietary machine learning algorithm to predict whether cancer cells are present.
Though the test is still being perfected and tested on thousands of women, preliminary results suggest the DOvEEgene test can diagnose virtually all high-grade serous cancers of the endometrium, a disease subtype that causes almost half of uterine cancer deaths. In addition, the test identifies women at elevated risk of six cancers caused by genes inherited from birth.
WISE Genomics: Bringing DOvEEgene to women
In 2024, Dr. Gilbert formed WISE Genomics, a new corporation dedicated to bringing the DOvEEgene test to market. Developing this innovative technology into a functioning business was no simple task. 鈥淎s scientists, it was daunting,鈥� said Dr. Gilbert.
The 91丝瓜视频 Innovation Fund made all the difference. 鈥淭hey have provided us with a roadmap, outlining key steps and keeping us in check along the way,鈥� Dr. Gilbert explained. With support from the 91丝瓜视频 Office of Innovation & Partnerships and the $100,000 Desjardins Deploy prize, WISE Genomics will exceed its goals for its first full year in business.
鈥淚n terms of commercialization, with the MIF, we have made more progress in the past year than we have in the last ten!鈥� Dr. Gilbert exclaimed. In 2025, the WISE Genomics team sharpened their entrepreneurial skills in seminars offered by the 91丝瓜视频 Dobson Centre. The team is laser-focused on securing the intellectual property that the test represents, publishing the test鈥檚 efficacy in a high-impact medical journal, securing regulatory approval to sell the test, and costing the test鈥檚 market launch.
In the longer term, WISE Genomics intends to make the DOvEEgene test available to all women. For this, DOvEEgene should receive regulatory approval and be eligible for reimbursement by insurers. WISE Genomics is now seeking funding to support theses critical next steps: obtaining approval from regulatory bodies around the world, conducting comprehensive health economic analyses. info [at] wisegenomics.com (WISE Genomics) plans to partner with clinical genomics laboratories capable of DNA sequencing and private gynecology clinics interested in administering the DOvEEgene test. These steps are critical to ensuring the DOvEEgene test can be adopted as part of routine care around the globe.
鈥淲e want this as a worldwide standard of care,鈥� Dr. Gilbert envisioned. 鈥淲omen should have access to renowned testing options anywhere in the world, and we will be the ones who provide it for them.鈥�
