R33 grant to develop and optimize a programmable smartphone-based diagnostic platform to detect mutations in blood samples
A Compact Platform for Cancer Mutation Detection Using an AI-Powered Smartphone.
Biomedical engineers at UConn have been awarded a R33 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a breakthrough diagnostic smartphone-based platform to make early lung cancer detection faster, more affordable, accessible and less invasive.
Changchun Liu, professor of biomedical engineering, recently received $ 1.24 million from the NIH for his project Programmable Multiplexed Detection of Cell-free DNA Mutation for Liquid Biopsy (PEAM-Seq).
"Our goal is to make highly sensitive cancer mutation testing simple, affordable, and accessible so that more patients can benefit from early detection and timely treatment," says Liu. "By combining CRISPR technology with a portable smartphone-based platform, we hope to bring advanced molecular diagnostics closer to patients and expand access to precision cancer screening."
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. While early detection is key-current diagnostic methods, including imaging and invasive tissue biopsies are often expensive, time-consuming, and require specialized infrastructure.
Liquid biopsy offers a promising alternative for noninvasive lung cancer screening by detecting circulating tumor biomarkers in blood. However, current technologies like digital droplet PCR and next-generation sequencing are highly accurate but are limited by their high costs, complexity, and long processing times.
By employing a platform to analyze circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in a patient's blood, Liu seeks to detect cancer mutations quickly, affordably, and accurately.
The PEAM-Seq platform developed by Liu overcomes current challenges in cancer mutation diagnostics through combining enzymatic cleavage (or bond breaking), and CRISPR technology for precise targeting. Liu's assay will also be built into a small chip and paired with a portable, smartphone-based reading system-elimination the need for heavy, expensive laboratory equipment.
The platform will be validated using blood samples from actual lung cancer patients. If successful, Liu is hopeful this platform will provide a transformative, smartphone-compatible technology to be used as a widespread, accessible screening tool for many different types of cancer.
"We are thrilled to work with such prolific researcher and inventor in the area of quick and simple molecular diagnostics," says Ana Fidantsef, Industry Liaison at UConn's Technology Commercialization Services (TCS). "Dr. Liu has been working closely with our office, where several of his inventions are protected under patent filing. We are constantly looking for collaborations with the industry to move Dr. Liu's technologies from the bench to the hand of patients."
