Radiology experts have scored a $4.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop liquid biopsy technology for the early detection of lung cancer.
The University of California, Los Angeles, is one of five institutions taking part in the National Cancer Institute’s Biopsy Consortium. Computed tomography is currently the go-to method for finding suspicious masses in the lungs. However, imaging often can lead to the detection small pulmonary nodules, which can present challenges when discerning whether they’re cancerous, UCLA noted.
Liquid biopsy could serve as a noninvasive alternative, allowing physicians to determine the molecular makeup of a tumor without extracting tissue or performing surgery.
“The goal is to create a blood test that can be used in clinics to complement CT imaging assessment of lung nodules for cancer risk, helping doctors decide if and when further testing is needed,” radiologist Denise Aberle, MD, a professor with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and one of the principal investigators on the grant, said in an Oct. 13 announcement.
UCLA said the grant will support its work in developing technology called EFIRM-liquid biopsy, which detects markers indicating the presence and nature of cancer. Aberle and colleagues discovered a type of “ultrashort and single-stranded” DNA associated with the disease. They’re hoping that the combination of such DNA, specific genetic changes, detailed imaging and other factors will allow them to detect lung cancer at its earliest stage.
Other members of the Liquid Biopsy Consortium include Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Miami School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins and Yale, according to the NCI.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.