Nanopore test to measure hyaluronan and related sugar molecules
Development of solid-state nanopore technology for improved glycosaminoglycan analytics
This project is building a small device that can measure how much and what size hyaluronic acid and similar sugars are in body samples to help find disease signals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195035 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view, the team is improving a tiny solid-state nanopore sensor that can read hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules and tell their size. They will add a way to measure how much HA is present and build a small fluid-handling system to pull HA out of urine, blood, or tissue so tests can be done in one contained setup. The researchers will also test improved chemical steps to capture HA together with protein markers of inflammation to make the results more informative. Overall, they want to make the method easier for other labs to use and suitable for small clinical samples.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with bladder cancer or other conditions linked to altered hyaluronan who can provide urine, blood, or tissue samples for testing.
Not a fit: People needing an immediate treatment or those not willing/able to give clinical samples are unlikely to get direct benefit from this methods-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to simpler lab tests that detect disease-related changes in HA and other glycosaminoglycans, which may help with earlier or clearer diagnosis of conditions like bladder cancer or inflammation.
How similar studies have performed: The team previously showed solid-state nanopores can measure HA size distribution, so this work builds on promising early results while adding new quantification and sample-extraction steps.
Where this research is happening
Winston-Salem, United States
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences — Winston-Salem, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hall, Adam Roger — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Hall, Adam Roger
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.