Quantifying molecular interactions to advance cancer research
Official title: Quantification of molecular interactions across the matrix spectrum enables cancer research.
Funded at Vanderbilt University · NIH-11398981 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new label-free, solution-based technology called FSA-CIR is being refined to study how molecules interact in cancer, aiming to speed up biomarker work and help guide dosing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $307,189 |
| NIH project number | 5R33CA291185-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398981 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancer or cancer-related conditions where biomarker discovery or MOA studies could inform treatment decisions.
✕Less likely to help
People not involved in biomarker research or those without access to future diagnostics or therapies informed by this work may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project improves and tests a novel FSA-CIR platform that can measure molecular interactions in complex samples without labels. It focuses on studying mechanisms of action, membrane protein interactions, and weak protein interactions in native-like conditions. The goal is to accelerate assay development, assist biomarker discovery, and support ex-vivo measurements that could inform first-in-human dosing. The work envisions broad applications in cancer biology, early detection, and clinical diagnosis using a single versatile platform.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster biomarker validation, better diagnostic tools, and more informed dosing decisions in future cancer therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work using label-free, solution-phase platforms has shown promise in characterizing molecular interactions, with growing interest in translating such tools to cancer biomarker work.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bornhop, Darryl J. — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Bornhop, Darryl J.
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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.