Differential Scanning Calorimetry as a New Serological Technology for Early Detection of Disease and Recurrence in Lung Cancer
Abstract
Improved diagnostic tests for lung cancer are critically needed, as it is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths estimated at over 158,000 deaths (27% of all cancer-related mortality) in 2015. Current screening approaches for lung cancer are ineffective. CT (computed tomography) scans are used for lung cancer screening, but CT alone does not detect early curable cancers and often misidentifies lung cancer, requiring follow-up biopsy or treatment that might be unnecessary and costly. There are no clinical blood tests for detecting lung cancer. The difficulty in quickly diagnosing lung cancer can have consequences for treatment, which is most effective for early-stage disease. New diagnostic technologies are needed for better detection and improved patient outcome in lung cancer. The goal of this proposal is to build on our promising preliminary data to determine the clinical utility of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) as a new blood test for the detection, surveillance, and discovery of new biomarkers of lung cancer, which can directly impact the clinical care of patients. DSC is a highly sensitive technique that measures the heat profile of biological samples as they are "melted." Based on studies from our laboratory and other research groups, it has been shown that DSC profiles of blood plasma can detect and stage multiple cancers and diseases. DSC profiles have also been shown to indicate the effectiveness of therapy or to detect disease recurrence. We believe that DSC is sensitive to changes in the heat profile of blood plasma proteins that result from the presence of cancer biomarkers, biological molecules found in the blood that provide a signal of the development of cancer. DSC has particularly high sensitivity to changes in the abundance, molecular structure, and interactions of biological molecules that affect their heat profile. As such, DSC provides a novel approach for the clinical assessment of lung cancer patients and for the characterization of lung cancer development. This proposal directly addresses the Lung Cancer Research Program areas of emphasis to develop non- or minimally invasive tools to improve detection of early lung cancer, to understand predictive and prognostic markers associated with therapeutic response, and to understand the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer development. We will focus on local lung cancer patients and control patients with benign lung nodules, with relevance to the clinical care of the Veteran population. We will test the ability of DSC to diagnose and monitor lung cancer. We will also identify specific biomarkers associated with lung cancer development and treatment. If successful, our results could provide the basis of a new clinical blood test for lung cancer patients for early detection, enhanced disease surveillance, and improved therapy monitoring. The diagnostic performance of our test will be assessed in a future study with larger patient numbers, which could lead to the development of a new clinical blood test for lung cancer diagnosis and monitoring. A DSC blood test could be administered more frequently and at a lower cost than currently used imaging diagnostics for lung cancer detection and surveillance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Source ID
- W81XWH1510178
Entities
People
- Nichola Garbett
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Louisville