I-Corps: Evolutionary Biology Platform for the Early Detection of Solid Tumor Cancers

Georgetown University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a standalone, non-invasive pan-cancer diagnostic test to eliminate the annual loss of more than 240,000 patients to late-stage cancer. The detection of multiple cancers early and with a single test may capture part of the $11.5 billion cost burden associated with existing diagnostic standards that result in unnecessary follow-up tests, overtreatment, complications due to late-stage treatment, and hospitalization costs from extended in-patient stays. By enabling physicians to detect cancer early and further subtype disease, the platform will allow for capabilities beyond detection, including treatment matching, therapy monitoring, and biomarker discovery—contributing to the broader health care goal of personalizing medicine. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a diagnostic platform that provides a dynamic molecular profile that maps the evolution of cancer in the body. The technology relies on a novel classification of biomarkers produced by both cancer cells and healthy cells. This technique analyzes the shared derived traits of the proteins and metabolites that cells release into the blood as they mutate and become cancerous, and further classifies these biomarkers in an easily interpretable evolutionary model. The technology fundamentally advances the understanding of the cancer “switch” by both recognizing and making sense of the variety of causal factors that lead to cancer development. Preliminary data suggests a high level of accuracy (>95% sensitivity and specificity), supported by peer-reviewed publications. This technology platform may provide a comprehensive portrait of a patient’s disease state. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.