Blood protein patterns to find ovarian cancer earlier
Proteomic Analyses of Serial Prediagnostic PLCO Serum in Cases and Controls to Identify Early Detection Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers Rising in a Substantial Fraction of Cases and Stable in Most Controls
This project looks at whether changing levels of many blood proteins over time can help find ovarian cancer earlier in people who later develop it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180381 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a sensitive proteomics test that measures about 1,500 proteins from tiny plasma samples. They will analyze serial pre-diagnostic blood samples from 50 people who went on to develop ovarian cancer and 200 matched controls from the PLCO trial to find proteins that rise rapidly in cases but stay stable in controls. The team will focus on proteins that show exponential increases over time and validate hits using low-variation assays that work with very small sample volumes. The aim is to develop a blood-based signature that could flag ovarian cancer before symptoms appear.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people at average or increased risk for ovarian cancer who can donate blood samples for early-detection research or join future screening studies.
Not a fit: People without ovarian cancer today or those with very advanced disease may not get direct benefit from this early-detection research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a blood test that detects ovarian cancer earlier when treatment is more likely to be effective.
How similar studies have performed: Existing markers like CA-125 and some multi-marker panels have had limited success, so this longitudinal, large-scale proteomic approach is novel though it builds on prior biomarker work.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Skates, Steven J — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Skates, Steven J
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.