A reliable lab standard for measuring exosome proteins in blood
Universal Internal Standard for Reproducible Accurate Quantification of Exosome Protein Markers
This project is creating a standard sample labs can add to blood tests so protein signals in exosomes from people with pancreatic cancer can be measured more reliably during treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11235947 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will build a "super-SILAC" exosome internal standard that is added into human serum before proteomic analysis to control for variability in exosome isolation and measurement. They will improve and standardize exosome isolation and mass spectrometry methods to make protein quantification more reproducible across many samples. Their earlier work found over 20 exosomal protein markers in the serum of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, and this project aims to make those measurements consistent enough for larger clinical studies. Validation will be done using patient serum samples collected during chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with locally advanced pancreatic cancer who can provide blood samples during their chemotherapy and radiation treatment for analysis with the new standard.
Not a fit: People without pancreatic cancer or those expecting direct, immediate changes to their personal treatment should not expect clinical benefit from this methods-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give doctors earlier, more reliable blood-based signals about whether pancreatic cancer treatment is working so therapies can be better tailored and toxic treatments avoided.
How similar studies have performed: Super-SILAC and internal standards have improved reproducibility in other proteomics work and small studies found exosome markers in pancreatic cancer, but using a universal internal standard for exosome proteomics is a relatively new application.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lubman, David M. — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Lubman, David M.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.