DNA methylation test to distinguish benign from cancerous thyroid nodules
Official title: Validation of epigenomic biomarkers for thyroid cancer diagnostics
Funded at Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope · NIH-11231264 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is testing a DNA methylation-based test to help people with unclear thyroid nodules find out if they are benign or cancerous.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Duarte, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $817,873 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA241845-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11231264 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with indeterminate or unclear thyroid nodule results after fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
✕Less likely to help
People without thyroid nodules, or whose biopsies already clearly show benign or malignant disease, are unlikely to benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you have a thyroid nodule that doctors cannot clearly classify from a needle biopsy, researchers will analyze DNA methylation patterns from your biopsy or surgical tissue. They will compare these epigenetic patterns to surgical pathology results and to current molecular tests to determine which markers best indicate cancer and tumor aggressiveness. The team will validate the biomarkers across a large set of samples to confirm accuracy and reliability. The aim is to produce a test clinicians can use to guide decisions about whether surgery is needed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this test could help more people avoid unnecessary thyroid surgery by more accurately identifying benign nodules.
How similar studies have gone: Existing molecular classifiers have improved diagnosis but still leave many unnecessary surgeries, and this epigenetic approach is novel with promising preliminary data.
Where this research is happening
-
Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
Duarte, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hahn, Maria — Beckman Research Institute/city of Hope
- Study coordinator: Hahn, Maria
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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.