Using Sugar Patterns in Blood to Find Diseases
Translating glycans into biomarkers
This project is creating a faster and simpler blood test to find specific sugar patterns that can signal diseases like cancer and other acute conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11138675 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Changes in sugar patterns, called glycans, are connected to many cancers and other acute and chronic diseases. Currently, finding these specific sugar patterns in proteins is a very slow process, often taking weeks for just a few samples. Our team has developed a new, streamlined method called GlycoTyper that uses a small amount of blood to quickly identify these important sugar patterns. This innovative approach combines antibody arrays with advanced imaging to rapidly analyze multiple sugar markers at once. We are collaborating with industry and clinical partners to confirm these markers, especially for liver disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with acute diseases, various cancers, or those at risk for liver disease might eventually benefit from the improved diagnostic capabilities developed through this research.
Not a fit: Patients without conditions linked to specific glycosylation changes would likely not directly benefit from this particular biomarker development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to much quicker and easier blood tests for earlier detection and better monitoring of various diseases, including liver cancer.
How similar studies have performed: While the concept of glycan biomarkers exists, this specific GlycoTyper method represents a novel and streamlined approach developed by this research group.
Where this research is happening
Charleston, United States
- Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mehta, Anand S. — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Mehta, Anand S.
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.