Fluorescent imaging of chemical tags on RNA

Fluorescence-based sequence-specific imaging of RNA modifications

NIH-funded research Mediomics, LLC · NIH-11197580

A new fluorescent technique to detect specific chemical tags on RNA for people with cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia.

Quick facts

Grant typeSbir 2 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMediomics, LLC NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Saint Louis, United States)
Project IDNIH-11197580 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This project is creating easy-to-use fluorescent probes and antibody reagents that make specific RNA chemical modifications light up inside cells and biological samples. The team will optimize those reagents in cell models and compare imaging results to existing sequencing maps of RNA modifications. Work includes antibody development, biochemical testing, and microscopy to find and visualize sites like m6A on RNA. If successful, the tools could be adapted to examine patient-derived blood or tumor samples to show where abnormal RNA changes occur.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with acute myeloid leukemia or other cancers who can provide blood or tumor samples for laboratory analysis.

Not a fit: People seeking a direct experimental treatment or immediate medical benefit are unlikely to benefit, and healthy volunteers without relevant samples would not be useful for this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, these imaging tools could help researchers and clinicians see abnormal RNA modifications linked to cancers and guide future diagnostics or targeted therapies.

How similar studies have performed: Genome-wide sequencing methods have mapped many RNA modifications and some antibody-based detection exists, but true sequence-specific fluorescent imaging in cells is a novel approach with limited prior success.

Where this research is happening

Saint Louis, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.