A Non-invasive and Cost-effective Sputum Assay for Lung Cancer Screening

该项目的目标是开发一种准确、可靠、成本效益高和非侵入性的系统，用于筛查高危个体，以便及早发现和监测肺癌。鉴于目前用于肺癌筛查的方法假阳性率很高(95%)，有大量的转诊进行侵入性活检和昂贵的两年随访检查，这些检查本身就有发病率和死亡率。因此，本研究项目的目标是开发一种能够准确检测肺癌细胞生物标志物的传感器设备。整个系统集成了一个名为微环谐振器的微型设备，以及一个直径约为20纳米的非常小的金粒子，包裹着DNA，可以捕捉肺癌细胞的生物标志物。当出现阳性测试结果时，使用光的操纵来产生信号。此外，这项研究项目为研究、培训和指导提供支持，以满足通过招募、留住少数族裔和女性本科生和研究生在STEM领域实现更大多样性的需求。本研究项目的目标是开发具有整合的痰非编码RNA(NcRNA)生物标志物的微环共振器，作为肺癌识别元件，用于稳健、高灵敏度和选择性地检测非小细胞肺癌。由于具有圆形截面和可控的纳米级缺陷，微环非常适合于开发廉价的复合光子生物传感器平台，并提供对痰中ncRNA生物标志物的快速检测。微环中的纳米级缺陷非常适合于在低浓度下结合生物识别元件来捕获ncRNA。计划中的研究战略将把从全基因组转录组开发的新型转录组图谱数据的优势转化为更简单的筛选测试，从而弥合基础研究和患者护理之间的差距。它有望利用基于微环的光子生物传感器产生一种新的护理点(POC)测试，用于准确和多路检测痰中的ncRNA，这是一种方便的人体液体，用于非侵入性诊断。重要的是，与现有技术相比，光子生物传感器平台将具有几个优势。1)它是一种无标记、无扩增的方法，可为ncRNA的快速检测提供一种方法。2)传感器平台可以同时监测多个目标。3)与传统的热循环和微流控技术相比，利用捕获探针直接检测ncRNA，可以显著缩短多个miRNA检测的实际操作时间和反应时间。4)不需要温度循环。

The goal of this project is to develop an accurate, reliable, cost-effective and non-invasive system for screening of high-risk individuals for early detection and monitoring of lung cancer. Given the high false positive rate (95%) of the current methods used in lung cancer screening, there is a large number of referrals for invasive biopsies and expensive two-year follow-up examinations that carry their own morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the objective of this research project is to develop a sensor device that can detect biomarkers for lung cancer cells accurately. The overall system integrates a microdevice, called a microtoroid resonator, with a very small gold particle, that has a diameter of about twenty nanometers, coated with DNA that can capture biomarkers for lung cancer cells. The manipulation of light is used to generate a signal when a positive test result occurs. Additionally, this research project is providing support for research training and mentorship that address the need to achieve greater diversity in STEM fields through recruitment, retention of minority and female undergraduate and graduate students.The objective of this research project is to develop microtoroid resonators with integrated sputum non-coding RNA (ncRNA) biomarkers as lung cancer recognition elements for the robust, highly-sensitive and selective detection of non-small cell lung cancer. With circular cross-sections and controlled nanoscale defects, microtoroids are excellent candidates for the development of multiplexed photonic biosensor platform that is inexpensive and provide rapid detection of the ncRNA biomarkers in sputum. Nanoscale defects in microtoroids are well-suited for the incorporation of biorecognition elements to capture ncRNAs at low concentrations. The planned research strategy will translate the strengths of novel transcriptome profiling data developed from the whole-genome transcriptome into simpler screening tests, and thus bridge the gap between basic research and patient care. It is expected to produce a new point-of-care (POC) test using the microtoroid-based photonic biosensor, for accurate and multiplexed detection of ncRNAs in sputum, which is a convenient human body fluid for non-invasive diagnostics. Importantly, the photonic biosensor platform will have several advantages over existing techniques. 1) It is a label-free, amplification-free method and can provide a rapid method for ncRNA detection. 2) The sensor platform can monitor multiple targets simultaneously. 3) It can significantly reduce the hands-on time and reaction time for multiple miRNA detections compared to traditional techniques involving thermal cycling and microfluidic system, because it utilizes capture probes for direct ncRNA detection. 4) It does not require temperature cycling.