Using abdominal (ascites) fluid to guide cancer treatment choices
Official title: Advanced Development of Patient Ascites Therapeutic Response Biosensors
Funded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology · NIH-11290370 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a new lab device that analyzes cells from abdominal fluid to help pick more effective treatments for people with gastroesophageal or ovarian cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $394,605 |
| NIH project number | 5R33CA291166-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290370 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with gastroesophageal or ovarian cancers who develop ascites and undergo routine fluid drainage at a participating medical center.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without ascites, with cancers outside the planned types, or whose fluid lacks enough tumor cells are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If your cancer causes fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites), this project would analyze cells from routine drains instead of relying on hard-to-get biopsies. The team developed AscitesPredict, a zero-passage ex vivo biosensor that uses single-cell analysis to identify tumor and immune cells and how they respond to drugs. They plan to refine the device and testing workflow so drug sensitivities can be measured directly from fresh ascites samples. The aim is to make testing fast and representative of the tumor environment so doctors can make better treatment choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help clinicians choose treatments that are more likely to work for an individual patient and avoid ineffective drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Single-cell profiling and ex vivo sensitivity tests have shown promise in small studies, but applying a zero-passage ascites biosensor like AscitesPredict is novel and not yet proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boehm, Jesse Samuel — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Boehm, Jesse Samuel
Related research
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This study is working on a special tool that can look at fluid from the belly of cancer patients to learn more about how their tumors react to treatments, helping doctors find better and more personalized ways to help people with tough-to-treat cancers like gastroesophageal and ovarian cancer.
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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.