Guidelines to improve blood and bone marrow sample handling for leukemia testing
Guidelines for processing and storing liquid biopsy samples for functional assays in research and clinical testing.
This project develops clear ways to collect, store, and ship blood and bone marrow so lab tests more reliably guide care for people with acute myeloid leukemia and other advanced cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196186 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will examine how collection, storage, and retrieval steps affect liquid biopsy tests that measure proteins and live-cell responses in blood and bone marrow. They will use high-throughput flow and imaging platforms and the Knight Cancer Institute's large set of leukemia patient samples to compare different pre-analytical methods. From those results they will write standard operating procedures and best-practice guidelines to be used across hospitals and labs. The goal is to make functional liquid biopsy results consistent and trustworthy for clinical and research use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with acute myeloid leukemia or other advanced blood cancers who can donate blood or bone marrow samples to participating centers or biobanks are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without blood or bone marrow cancers, or those who cannot provide samples or access participating sites, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: More reliable liquid biopsy tests could help doctors pick better treatments faster and reduce unclear or misleading lab results.
How similar studies have performed: Sensitive liquid biopsy and functional assay methods exist and show promise, but consistent, evidence-based guidelines for sample handling are currently lacking, so this project builds on promising techniques with a focus on standardization.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vu, Tothu Q — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Vu, Tothu Q
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.