Blood exosome test to find lung cancer early and guide immunotherapy
Official title: Lung Cancer Early Detection and Immunotherapy Response Prediction and Monitoring with an Exo-PROS Liquid Biopsy Assay
Funded at State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11179229 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A blood test using tumor exosomes to find lung cancer earlier and help predict who will benefit from immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,236,637 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA272827-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179229 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants include people at high risk for lung cancer (for example, long-term smokers), patients with suspicious lung nodules on low-dose CT, and lung cancer patients being considered for or receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
✕Less likely to help
People without lung cancer, with other types of cancer, or whose tumors do not shed detectable exosomes into the blood may not benefit from this test.
What this research studies
You would give small blood samples that researchers will use to capture tumor-derived exosomes with a new Exo-PROS assay. The test looks for cancer-specific signals in exosomes and compares those signals with CT scans and clinical outcomes. Participants will be followed over time to see if the blood test can detect cancer earlier and track response to immune checkpoint therapy. The aim is a non-invasive approach that could reduce unnecessary biopsies and repeated scans while helping tailor treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could become a non-invasive blood test that catches lung cancer earlier and helps doctors pick the right patients for immunotherapy, potentially reducing unnecessary procedures and improving outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Other liquid biopsy methods and tissue biomarkers have shown promise for lung cancer screening and immunotherapy selection, but exosome-based assays like Exo-PROS are still novel and require clinical validation.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Buffalo
Amherst, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Yun — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Wu, Yun
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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.