Low-cost nanopore sequencing to diagnose childhood cancers in low- and middle-income countries
Characterization of Diverse Pediatric Cancers in LMIC Using Low-Cost Nanopore Sequencing
This project uses affordable nanopore sequencing to identify the specific type of cancer in children treated at hospitals in low- and middle-income countries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136427 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child is treated at a participating hospital, doctors would collect a small tumor or blood sample and run low-cost nanopore sequencing to read the cancer’s genetic signals. The team will use those genetic patterns to classify the cancer type and subtype so local clinicians can choose the most appropriate treatment. The project also trains local laboratory staff and works to make the technology affordable and sustainable at partner centers. Over time the goal is to close the gap in diagnostic capacity between richer and poorer countries.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children (infants through about 11 years old) with suspected or confirmed cancers who are receiving care at participating hospitals in low- and middle-income countries.
Not a fit: Children already treated in high-income centers with full diagnostic services, or those not seen at participating sites, are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let children in resource-limited settings get faster, more accurate cancer diagnoses and access to treatments that better match their tumor biology.
How similar studies have performed: RNA sequencing has already helped classify pediatric cancers in high-income settings, and early studies using nanopore sequencing show promise but remain newer and less widely validated.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Jeremy R — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Wang, Jeremy R
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.