Immune-based tissue mapping to find early signs of oral cancer
Early detection and risk of head and neck cancer through immune based spatial omics
Using advanced tissue-mapping and AI to find immune changes that may predict which mouth lesions could turn into oral cancer in people with precancerous oral lesions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11175447 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have a precancerous mouth lesion, doctors would take small biopsy samples that the team will study. They will use a new spatial omics method called SAFE to map many immune and tissue markers in the lesion at once and apply AI algorithms to find patterns. Researchers will compare lesions that later became cancerous with those that stayed benign to identify immune signatures linked to progression. The goal is to develop biomarkers that help guide follow-up and treatment decisions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with oral potentially malignant disorders (like oral leukoplakia or dysplasia) who can provide biopsy samples and attend follow-up visits.
Not a fit: People without precancerous oral lesions, those unable or unwilling to have biopsies, or patients whose care can't include the specific tissue mapping will likely not benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors tell which oral lesions are likely to become cancer so patients get earlier treatment and avoid unnecessary procedures.
How similar studies have performed: Related spatial-omics and immune-profiling work has shown promise in cancer research, but using these methods to predict which mouth lesions will turn into cancer is fairly new.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pai, Sara Isabel — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Pai, Sara Isabel
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.