Point-of-care blood test to detect colorectal cancer in low-resource countries
Development of an automated, point of care DNA methylation cartridge blood test for colorectal cancer detection in LMICs- an academic-industrial partnership
This project is building a fast, low-cost blood test that looks for DNA changes to help find colorectal cancer in people in low- and middle-income countries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11417084 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my point of view, the team is creating an automated cartridge test that uses only 1 ml of plasma and gives results in under three hours at the clinic. They will pick a five-gene DNA methylation panel shown to be linked to colorectal cancer, optimize the chemistry for small plasma samples, and program the test into a single-use cartridge with their industrial partner. The work uses archived tissue and patient plasma samples from both the U.S. and Nigeria to choose and validate the best markers before broader testing. If the cartridge works as planned, it could be used by local clinics to flag people who need urgent colonoscopy and pathology.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults in low- and middle-income countries who need screening or who have signs or symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer.
Not a fit: People without colorectal cancer, those with other types of cancer, or patients in places with easy access to colonoscopy may not get direct benefit from this test.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help find colorectal cancer earlier and speed up referral to colonoscopy and treatment in settings with limited resources.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that methylation markers in blood can signal colorectal cancer, but packaging a rapid, low-cost point-of-care cartridge is a new application.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sukumar, Saraswati — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Sukumar, Saraswati
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.