Quick point-of-care skin test for Kaposi’s sarcoma in sub-Saharan Africa
Rapid Sample-to-Answer Diagnosis of Kaposi's Sarcoma Across Sub-Saharan Africa using KS-COMPLETE
A new portable system that finds Kaposi’s sarcoma from a small skin biopsy to help people in sub-Saharan Africa get a diagnosis in about an hour.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11109408 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is building KS-COMPLETE, a portable sample-to-answer system designed to work near patients and give fast results from a skin punch biopsy. The device will use an automated SLICER step to break biopsies into tiny pieces and then run a direct-to-LAMP DNA test on the TINY platform to detect the virus linked to KS. The team will manufacture the system and run a multi-site clinical validation across sub-Saharan African clinics. If successful, the process should cut testing time from hours to about 60 minutes and remove many manual lab steps.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People in sub-Saharan Africa who have skin lesions suspicious for Kaposi’s sarcoma and can undergo a small punch biopsy at participating clinics.
Not a fit: People without skin lesions, those with visceral-only KS that cannot be sampled by skin biopsy, or those unable to undergo biopsy or located outside participating regions may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could provide fast, accurate KS diagnoses at the point of care so patients can start treatment sooner and avoid long waits for lab results.
How similar studies have performed: Prior large studies showed KSHV DNA in skin biopsies can accurately identify KS and the TINY platform is already in multi-site evaluation, but direct-to-LAMP processing of skin biopsies is a novel advance.
Where this research is happening
Ithaca, United States
- Cornell University — Ithaca, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Erickson, David Carl — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Erickson, David Carl
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.