# HELIXAFE > HELIXAFE is a physician-guided, blood-based program for Cancer Driver Interception, powered by Bioscience Institute (San Marino; laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts). It reads acquired (somatic) changes across more than 50 tumor suppressor genes, establishes a personal reference, then follows whether those changes hold steady, build or build faster over repeated tests. Key definitions: Cancer Driver Interception = following the changes that build in the years before there is cancer to find. Cancer Driver Condition = a progressive pattern across repeated HELIXAFE tests; one test does not establish it, and it is not cancer. HELIXAFE is not hereditary cancer testing, cancer screening or a cancer diagnostic test. It does not diagnose, treat, predict or prevent cancer and does not replace recommended screening. US availability: preparing to open; waitlist at https://helixafe.bioinst.com/. ## Main pages - [HELIXAFE: home](https://helixafe.com/): HELIXAFE reads acquired changes across 50+ tumor suppressor genes and follows them over time, with your physician. Not screening, not hereditary testing. - [Contacts](https://helixafe.com/contacts/): Contact HELIXAFE about the program, the tests and availability in the United States. Write to us with the online form and we will reply. - [Cookie policy](https://helixafe.com/cookie-policy/): Which cookies helixafe.com uses, what they do and how long they last. The site uses only technical cookies. - [Privacy policy](https://helixafe.com/privacy-policy/): How Bioscience Institute handles the data of helixafe.com visitors and of people who use the contact form: purposes, providers, retention and your rights. ## The program What HELIXAFE reads, how the program runs and what it cannot tell you. - [How HELIXAFE works](https://helixafe.com/how-it-works/): Start online, blood draw at home, establish your reference, test again, decide with your physician. How the HELIXAFE program follows the years before a diagnosis. - [One program, four ways to follow it](https://helixafe.com/the-tests/): One HELIXAFE reading of 50+ tumor suppressor genes, followed over time, four ways: full panel, digestive field, after lung, breast or ovarian cancer. - [Cancer Driver Condition](https://helixafe.com/cancer-driver-condition/): Today it is possible to switch the focus from early cancer detection and generic external risk factors reduction to actionable cancer driver interception.… - [Interception vs Prevention](https://helixafe.com/interception-vs-prevention/): Cancer interception refers to the idea of interrupting carcinogenesis at any point before the development of an invasive disease. Nowadays, most people… - [Questions and answers](https://helixafe.com/faq/): What HELIXAFE is, what a Cancer Driver Condition means, how it differs from hereditary testing and screening, and what your physician does. Plain answers. ## Genomic instability The progressive accumulation of acquired (somatic) mutations when tumor suppressor genes stop repairing DNA damage. - [Assessing Genomic Instability](https://helixafe.com/assessing-genomic-instability/): Measuring instability is difficult because it requires tracing the evolution of multiple subclones coexisting within a tumor. Hence, monitoring genomic… - [Analyzing cfDNA](https://helixafe.com/analyzing-cfdna-to-assess-genomic-instability/): Alborelli et al. studied genomic alterations by means of molecular barcoded ultra-deep sequencing. They first analyzed tissue and blood samples from… - [Somatic Mutation](https://helixafe.com/somatic-mutation-and-cancer-prodromal-stage/): When discussing the relationship between DNA mutations and cancer, it is mandatory to differentiate between germline mutations and somatic mutations. The… - [Molecular Pathology in Cancer Prevention](https://helixafe.com/molecular-phatology-in-cancer-prevention/): Preamble: As we stand on the brink of new scientific horizons, molecular pathology emerges as a revolutionary tool in understanding the very fabric of… ## Inflammation Chronic, low-grade inflammation as a condition that can drive tumor development. - [The Causes of Inflammation](https://helixafe.com/the-causes-of-inflammation/): For many years, inflammation has been referred to as the response of the organism to tissue injury and infection. However, lots of things have changed… - [The Role of Inflammation in Cancer](https://helixafe.com/the-role-of-inflammation-in-cancer/): More than 20% of all cancers are initiated or exacerbated by inflammation. For example, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, and colon cancer have… - [The Actionable Biomarkers](https://helixafe.com/the-actionable-biomarkers-of-inflammation/): The ultimate goal of every type of inflammation is to return tissues to their normal state, and acute and chronic inflammation share many of the same… - [Lifestyle Against Inflammation](https://helixafe.com/lifestyle-against-inflammation/): Lifestyle factors can modulate the production of inflammatory molecules, but not exclusively. They can also induce the production of ROS, which in turn… ## Gut microbiota Dysbiosis of the intestinal flora and its links with inflammation, immunity, ageing and cancer. - [Dysbiosis](https://helixafe.com/dysbiosis/): The human organism is not a sterile environment: both skin and internal tissues house a large variety of microorganisms peacefully living with their host… - [How it is Linked to Cancer](https://helixafe.com/how-is-linked-to-cancer/): Genomic instability naturally arises in normal cells through accumulation of genetic and epigenetic (that is, those that do not modify gene sequence)… - [How to Analyse Gut Microbiota](https://helixafe.com/how-to-analyse-gut-microbiota/): Understanding the role of microbiota in maintaining health has been allowing for better disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. For example… - [Microbiota and Aging](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-aging/): Aging is a process leading to a generalized decline of physiological functions. This process depends on individual characteristics such as ethnicity, is… - [Microbiota and Cancer Development](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-cancer-development/): The microbiota exerts both local and systemic effects on cancer. In some cases, its composition promotes the development of the disease. However, some… - [Microbiota and Genomic Instability](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-genomic-instability/): Gut microbiota can influence genomic stability of the host in both direct and indirect ways. Colorectal cancer stands as an example of this phenomenon.… - [Microbiota and Inflammation](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-inflammation/): Notably, intestinal cancer is inextricably linked to gut inflammation, and Crohn’s Disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, is associated with colorectal… - [Microbiota and Modifying Factors](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-modifying-factors/): Factors able to modify gut microbiota include different medications. Antibiotics are expected to have a large effect, but also other common medications… - [Microbiota and Obesity](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-obesity/): Both obesity and its comorbidities are associated with changes in gut microbiota. In general, obesity is associated with a lesser diversity and richness… - [Microbiota and the Immune System](https://helixafe.com/microbiota-and-the-immune-system/): Gut microbiota plays a fundamental role in the induction, education, and function of the immune system, establishing an alliance with its host’s defense… ## Immune system The cells of immune surveillance and what shifts their balance. - [T Cells](https://helixafe.com/t-cells/): T cells are a type of lymphocytes generated in the thymus. Based on their co-receptor molecules, they can be distinguished in CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Among… - [B Cells](https://helixafe.com/b-cells-2/): B cells are immune cells responsible for the production of antibodies, antigen presentation and cytokine secretion. They are released as immature cells by… - [NK Cells](https://helixafe.com/nk-cells/): Natural Killer (NK) cells are versatile lymphocytes involved in both innate and adaptive immunity that can destroy virus-infected and tumor cells. Their… - [Monocytes](https://helixafe.com/monocytes/): Monocytes are white blood cells developing in the bone marrow that are involved in both the innate immune response, and processes such as tissue repair.… - [Vitamin D and the Immune System](https://helixafe.com/vitamin-d-and-the-immune-system/): Immune system efficiency depends also on vitamin D status. This peculiar micronutrient (in effect, a prohormone) is a potent immunomodulator. Before the… - [Aging and the Immune System](https://helixafe.com/aging-and-the-immune-system/): Immune system stimulation and oxidative stress exposure occurring over the course of life promote a state called inflammaging; that is, inflammation… ## Telomeres The ends of chromosomes, their shortening with age and their role in genomic instability. - [Telomere Structure and Functions](https://helixafe.com/telomere-structure-and-functions/): Telomeres represent both genomic sacrifice zones, which prevent the loss of genomic information at the end of chromosomes, and high order structures… - [Telomere Shortening and Cancer](https://helixafe.com/telomere-shortening-and-cancer/): Telomere shortening is a natural phenomenon that occurs with aging. Its cause lies in the mechanism of DNA replication. In fact, one of the two strands of… - [Telomere Shortening and Genomic Instability](https://helixafe.com/telomere-shortening-and-genomic-instability/): Cancer is a genetic disease that manifests when cells accumulate genomic instability – the principal driver of cancer development – over a period of time… - [Telomeres in Cancer](https://helixafe.com/telomeres-in-cancer/): Human telomere length encompasses a normal range with discrete upper and lower limits. Both longer and shorter telomeres have been linked to cancer. In… - [Longer Telomeres and Cancer](https://helixafe.com/longer-telomeres-and-cancer/): Cancer is only a rare (10% to 15%) complication of the so-called short telomere syndromes, which consist of a series of clinical presentations which can… ## Cancer prevention Prevention models and where interception fits. - [Cancer Prevention](https://helixafe.com/cancer-prevention/): Cancer prevention education as an approach over early detection represents a significant paradigm shift in oncology. The rationale behind this transition… - [Cancer Prevention Models](https://helixafe.com/cancer-prevention-models/): The disease is a leading cause of death. In 2020, it was responsible for nearly 10 million deaths worldwide. Lung, colorectal, liver, stomach, and breast… ## Education Programs for the public, for former cancer patients and for physicians. - [Education for the General Public](https://helixafe.com/education-for-the-general-public/): Preamble: The journey to a world with reduced cancer incidence begins with informed individuals. Recognising the power of knowledge, the Bioscience… - [Education for Former Cancer Patients](https://helixafe.com/education-for-former-cancer-patients/): Preamble: Surviving cancer is a testament to resilience, courage, and the marvel of medical advancements. Bioscience Foundation acknowledges the unique… - [Education for Physicians](https://helixafe.com/education-for-physicians/): Preamble: Understanding that physicians play a pivotal role in the early detection, prevention, and management of cancer, the Bioscience Foundation is… - [Video Review](https://helixafe.com/video-review/): 11 ottobre 2023, Sala Zuccari presso il Senato della Repubblica, Roma Consensus Conference “Nuovo approccio nella prevenzione dei tumori in Italia primo… ## Organization - [Mission & Vision](https://helixafe.com/missionvision/): Since 2005, at the BIOSCIENCE FOUNDATION we believe that the key to a world without cancer lies in understanding its root causes and advocating for… - [Scope](https://helixafe.com/scope/): Shifting the Paradigm from Early Detection to Cancer Driver Interception In the dynamic landscape of cancer prevention, staying ahead means constant… - [Board of Directors](https://helixafe.com/board-of-directors/): The Bioscience Foundation board of directors: oncologists, researchers and leaders of Italian medical societies, chaired by Giuseppe Mucci. - [Sustainable Development Goals](https://helixafe.com/sustainable-development-goals/): HELIXAFE solution will contribute to “developing a strong and vibrant economic base”, one of the four main priorities of the strategic EU agenda… - [Internal Policies](https://helixafe.com/internal-policies/): The internal policies of the Bioscience Foundation: how research is funded and conducted, how programmes are run and how data are handled. - [Certificate of Incorporation](https://helixafe.com/certificate-of-incorporation/): Certificate of incorporation of the Bioscience Foundation, the non-profit for research, education and advocacy in cancer prevention. ## News - [Latest News](https://helixafe.com/latest-news/): HELIXAFE news and events: national conferences and updates on personalised cancer prevention and Cancer Driver Interception. - [Press Release](https://helixafe.com/press-release/): Press coverage of Cancer Driver Interception on AIOM TV, ANSA and other Italian media: active cancer prevention and the HELIXAFE approach. ## Optional - [Full text of the site for language models](https://helixafe.com/llms-full.txt) - [XML sitemap](https://helixafe.com/sitemap_index.xml)