The ability to detect the presence of oral cancer and to predict which oral precancer will eventuate to cancer will reduce the mortality and morbidity of this dreadful cancer, which accounts for 30,000 new cancer cases in the United States and 350,000 worldwide. Only 20% of oral precancers progress to cancer and currently there is no clinical, morphological or molecular parameter that can predict the malignant progression of oral precancers. This proposal builds on our recent data that signature transcriptome and proteomic biomarkers are present in saliva of oral cancer patients. We hypothesize that salivary transcriptome and proteomic signatures can be harnessed from saliva of progressing oral cancer patients that will distinguish them from non-progressing oral precancers.
Three Specific Aims are in place to test the hypothesis.
AIM 1 is to harness the salivary transcriptome and proteomic diagnostic biomarkers from oral cancer patients and patients with progressing oral precancers.
AIMs 2 and 3 constitute phases II and III of EDRN detection studies to validate/train/build prediction models and testing the prediction models for saliva detection of oral cancer and progressing oral precancers respectively. The successful completion of these three Aims will constitute an important advancement of oral cancer and precancer diagnostics. We are optimistic that the salivary transcriptome and proteomic biomarkers will meet the rigor of these evaluations and emerge as highly specific, highly sensitive biomarkers for oral cancer detection as well as the early detection of oral cancer in the non- invasive biofluid, saliva.

Public Health Relevance

This research project will lead to the discovery of saliva biomarkers that can be used for early detection of oral cancer as well as predicting if an oral precancer will become a cancer.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DE017170-02
Application #
7595089
Study Section
Cancer Biomarkers Study Section (CBSS)
Program Officer
Shirazi, Yasaman
Project Start
2008-04-01
Project End
2012-03-31
Budget Start
2009-04-01
Budget End
2010-03-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$385,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Dentistry
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
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