Better blood tests to find tiny leftover cancer
Official title: Comprehensive minimal residual disease tracking in cancer
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11225122 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is testing ultra-sensitive blood tests to find tiny amounts of cancer DNA in people treated for breast and other cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2018 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $442,642 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA221874-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11225122 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people treated for breast or other solid tumors who are in remission or surveillance and can provide blood samples for MRD testing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not release detectable tumor DNA into the blood or who cannot provide blood samples may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are improving liquid biopsies—blood tests that look for tumor DNA—to spot minimal residual disease after treatment. They are combining two advanced laboratory methods (including a technique called MAESTRO) to greatly increase sensitivity and turn previously ctDNA-negative samples into detectable ones. The team will analyze blood samples from people with breast and other solid tumors over time to watch for tiny changes in tumor DNA. Findings are intended to guide earlier follow-up or treatment decisions if residual cancer is found.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tests could detect returning cancer earlier and help doctors start treatment sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Other liquid biopsy studies have shown promise and recent methods have converted some ctDNA-negative samples into positives, but consistently achieving ultra-high sensitivity remains a newer advance.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makrigiorgos, G. Mike — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Makrigiorgos, G. Mike
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting minimal residual disease in AML with smart imaging and AI
A patient-centered project to find better ways to treat residual leukemia cells after remission using advanced imaging and AI together with precise measurement tools.
-
Postoperative ctDNA in Drain Fluid to Detect Remaining Cancer in Head and Neck Cancer
A patient-friendly test using fluid from surgical drains after head and neck cancer surgery may reveal tiny remaining cancer cells sooner.
-
Finding and targeting tiny leftover colon cancer cells after surgery
This project will collect hidden cancer cells from patients after colon cancer surgery, grow them in the lab, and test drugs to try to stop the cancer from coming back.
-
Orphan noncoding RNA test to detect buried cancer cells in lung cancer
A new blood test using orphan noncoding RNAs and AI aims to find tiny amounts of residual lung cancer after surgery to guide subsequent treatment.
-
Spotting and targeting leftover AML cells with AI and single-cell tools
This project uses AI-powered imaging and single-cell measurements to find treatments that could stop relapse in people with AML who are in remission but still have tiny amounts of disease.
-
Understanding why lung cancer treatments stop working
This work aims to understand why some lung cancer cells survive targeted treatments, leading to drug resistance in patients.
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.