Lee Hoods New Company Snags $30M to Spot Cancer and Alzheimers in Early Days
Summary
Lee Hood’s New Company Snags $30M to Spot Cancer and Alzheimer’s in Early Days Xconomy Seattle — Lee Hood, the legendary researcher and entrepreneur who invented machines that made the Human Genome Project possible, has secured $30 million in venture capital for a startup that aims to detect cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s in their earliest and most treatable stages.The company has secured the first of three tranches of financing in a $30 million commitment from Menlo Park, CA-based InterWest Partners, the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust, and Germany-based dievini Hopp Biotech holding, which is part of a collaboration with the government of Luxembourg, according to a statement.These tests are being designed to take a pinprick of blood and spot signature proteins that are associated with tumors, or Alzheimer’s disease.This is going to be the platform in the initial days.” The science behind this vision—which Hood and others call systems biology—seeks to go beyond the traditional study of one gene or one protein in isolation.“We are optimistic that systems biology will become a critical tool in the development of personalized medicine and believe that Integrated Diagnostics is at the leading edge in this field,” said Julie Eskay-Eagle, head of The Wellcome Trust Health Care Investments, in a statement.