Tiny chip test to track cancer-related fat signals in leukemia cells
Design of an integrated microdevice to measure malignant lipid signaling in single cells from clinical samples
A very small lab-on-a-chip will measure abnormal lipid activity in leukemia cells from people with acute myeloid leukemia to help understand why some cells resist chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310207 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would provide a small blood or bone marrow sample and researchers would place single leukemia cells onto an ultra-miniaturized chip called picoliter thin-layer chromatography (pTLC). The chip uses tiny printed layers and fluorescent, cell-loadable lipid probes to reveal the activity of lipid-modifying enzymes inside individual cells. The team will combine micro- and nanofabrication with easy-to-use hardware and sample handling steps so the test can work with common clinical lab workflows. Results aim to show how specific enzyme changes in single cells relate to chemotherapy resistance.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who can provide blood or bone marrow samples would be the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People without AML or those unable to give samples would not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify drug-resistant leukemia cells earlier and guide more personalized treatment choices.
How similar studies have performed: The approach builds on existing fluorescent lipid probes and miniaturized assays but the pTLC single-cell application to human AML samples is novel and not yet established clinically.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Allbritton, Nancy L. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Allbritton, Nancy L.
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.