A new blood test for cancer detection

Epigenomic analysis of cell-free nucleosomes for cancer research

NIH-funded research Epicypher, INC. · NIH-11183029

This project is developing a new type of blood test to find cancer more accurately by looking at specific markers in your blood.

Quick facts

Grant typeSbir 2 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionEpicypher, INC. NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Research Triangle Park, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11183029 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Current blood tests for cancer, often called liquid biopsies, look at DNA but sometimes have trouble telling different cell types or disease stages apart. This project focuses on tiny structures in the blood called nucleosomes, which carry important information about where cells come from and their disease state. By examining these nucleosomes, we aim to get a clearer picture of cancer. The goal is to create a highly sensitive and reliable test that can identify cancer markers directly from human plasma samples.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Patients with cancer or those at high risk for cancer who could benefit from improved diagnostic and monitoring tools might be ideal candidates for future applications of this technology.

Not a fit: Patients without cancer or those not seeking cancer detection or monitoring would not directly benefit from this specific diagnostic development.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this new blood test could offer a more precise and earlier method to detect cancer and track its progress.

How similar studies have performed: Early applications of similar cell-free epigenomic approaches have shown potential, but a commercial platform optimized for cell-free nucleosome analysis is still being developed.

Where this research is happening

Research Triangle Park, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.