Single-tube blood test to detect acute blood cancers in Kenyan children and young adults
Official title: Adapting flow cytometry methods for early detection of acute hematologic malignancies in Kenya including the improvement of sample flow processes and technical training of personnel
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11398832 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A simple, low-cost blood test aims to find leukemia early in Kenyan children and young adults so fewer people need painful bone marrow procedures and long travel.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | July 2, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $278,615 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA278862-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398832 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and young adults in Kenya with symptoms or clinical suspicion of leukemia or lymphoma who can provide peripheral blood and, when needed, a bone marrow sample at participating hospitals.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancers do not shed detectable cells into peripheral blood, those requiring bone marrow for specific molecular tests, or people outside participating Kenyan sites may not benefit from the single-tube blood screen.
What this research studies
This project will change the current multi-tube bone marrow testing to a single-tube flow cytometry blood test so diagnosis can be faster and cheaper. Researchers will compare paired bone marrow and peripheral blood samples from children and young adults with suspected leukemia at hospitals in western Kenya to confirm the blood test gives the same answers. They will also improve how blood samples are collected and transported and provide technical training to local lab staff so the test can be done reliably. If successful, many patients could give a routine blood draw instead of traveling far and undergoing invasive procedures for diagnosis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could allow earlier, less-invasive, and lower-cost diagnosis of leukemia and lymphoma for children and young adults in Kenya, improving access to timely treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Flow cytometry is a standard diagnostic tool worldwide and single-tube peripheral blood screening has shown promise in some centers, but this approach is novel for routine use in western Kenya.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vik, Terry a — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Vik, Terry a
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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.