Fast, low-cost cervical cancer screening using CRISPR and light-based detection
Official title: Composing CODAs to cervical cancer screening through an integrated CRISPR and fluorescent nucleic acid approach
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11399240 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A rapid, affordable CRISPR-based test is being brought to clinics in Uganda and Ghana to help find precancerous cervical changes in women who lack easy access to screening.
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 start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $126,580 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA279858-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399240 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women eligible for cervical cancer screening who visit participating clinics in the project’s partner sites in Uganda and Ghana.
✕Less likely to help
People without a cervix, men, and women who do not attend participating clinics or whose conditions are not detected by HPV/DNA screening would not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, this project adapts a handheld lab test that uses CRISPR and a light-based fluorescence method to spot HPV and other DNA markers linked to cervical precancer. The test produces automated results in under 30 minutes and was already checked on human samples in the lab. Researchers will work with clinicians and lab staff at partner clinics in Uganda and Ghana to make the test easy to use in low-resource settings. The goal is to set up practical workflows so women can be screened more widely and quickly at point-of-care locations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the test could make cervical screening faster, cheaper, and more widely available in low-resource settings, helping detect precancer earlier.
How similar studies have gone: The team has already validated the CODA CRISPR-fluorescence method on human samples, and other CRISPR-based diagnostics have shown promising rapid detection, though routine point-of-care use in low-resource settings is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Castro, Cesar M — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Castro, Cesar M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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mSaada: a mobile tool to boost cervical cancer screening in western Kenya
A mobile app helps community health volunteers manage cervical cancer screening tasks and follow-up for women in low-resource areas.
-
HPV self-collection in HIV care to screen for cervical cancer in Ethiopia
A patient-centered program tests a simple HPV self-collection approach within HIV clinics in Ethiopia to help detect cervical cancer earlier.
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HOPE-inG: Increasing cervical cancer screening for women with HIV in Ghana
A study tests a home-based HPV self-sampling approach plus a tailored communication plan to help women living with HIV in Ghana get screened more often for cervical cancer.
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CODA-based cervical cancer screening for LMICs using CRISPR and fluorescence
A low-resource, rapid test called CODA uses CRISPR and light signals to detect cervical cancer markers in women in sub-Saharan Africa to improve screening.
-
CODA-based cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings
A new, quick, low-cost test using CRISPR and fluorescence readouts to help screen for cervical cancer in women in sub-Saharan Africa.
-
CATSystem: a digital tool to boost cervical cancer screening and follow-up in Kenya
A digital tracking system helps doctors and patients in Kenya improve cervical cancer screening, treatment referrals, and follow-up, especially for women living with HIV.
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.