Improving blood tests for diagnosing complex cancers
Official title: Optimizing blood biopsy in cancers with low mutation burden and high structural complexity
Funded at Tufts University Boston · NIH-10917276 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at ways to make blood tests better at finding certain types of cancer, like sarcomas, by checking for tiny bits of DNA and RNA from tumor cells, so that doctors can give you more personalized treatment options when other tests are tricky.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $123,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R03OD034065-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10917276 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include patients diagnosed with structurally complex cancers, such as osteosarcoma or Ewing’s sarcoma.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers that have a well-defined mutation landscape, such as common lung or breast cancers, may not benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing liquid biopsy techniques, which are non-invasive blood tests that detect cancer by analyzing DNA and RNA released by tumor cells. The study aims to improve the accuracy of these tests for cancers that have a low mutation burden and high structural complexity, such as certain sarcomas. By exploring new methods to assess DNA fragment patterns and methylation status, the research seeks to provide more reliable information about cancer types and treatment responses. This could help tailor therapies to individual patients, especially when traditional methods like imaging are difficult.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate and personalized cancer diagnostics and treatment options for patients with complex cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using advanced liquid biopsy techniques for cancer detection, indicating that this approach may lead to significant advancements in the field.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gardner, Heather Lynn — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: Gardner, Heather Lynn
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Diagnostics Core for Lyme disease testing and sample archiving
A centralized diagnostics core at a CLIA-certified lab provides standard Lyme disease tests and sample handling to support patient studies.
-
Clinical Coordination Core for Lyme disease and tickborne infections
A patient-facing core is coordinating care and enrollment for people with early Lyme disease and for antibody-based studies among groups at high risk of tick exposure.
-
Understanding why some people have ongoing symptoms after Lyme disease
A long-term study follows people diagnosed with acute Lyme disease to see who develops persistent symptoms and why, with care from a team of Lyme experts.
-
How bacteria talk to each other and what that means for infections
Researchers are studying how bacteria communicate and adapt in crowded environments like infections, with the goal of understanding what makes some bacteria more harmful or harder to treat.
-
Transdiagnostic therapy to improve mental health and TB treatment outcomes in India
A doctor-research team will test a flexible mental health therapy called CETA to help people with tuberculosis who also struggle with depression and unhealthy alcohol use, aiming to improve their TB treatment success.
-
Precision nutrition for personalized health in All of Us New England
A patient-focused program will study how different diets affect health in adults in the All of Us community, using real-world meals and controlled feeding sessions.
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.