High-accuracy, portable sensor systems will be developed to provide near-instantaneous detection of biomarker proteins in blood and serum as indicators of ovarian serous papillary carcinoma to monitor presymptomatic aspects of the disease, disease progression, and the efficacy of intervention therapies. These compact optical systems will be easy to use and have the capability to measure multiple agents simultaneously and in real time. The ultimate goal is to develop commercial systems capable of identifying and quantifying protein biomarkers that are either up- or downregulated in blood and serum associated with ovarian carcinoma. The present application will test the hypothesis that the proposed sensor systems are capable of providing near-instantaneous detection of biomarker proteins in blood and serum as indicators of ovarian carcinoma. The hypothesis will be tested with the following specific aims:
Specific Aim 1 : Develop a prototype sensor system and demonstrate its feasibility as a multi- channel portable biochemical detection system for biomarker proteins. A major additional goal will be to distinguish quantitatively between primary and metastatic ovarian carcinoma through differential protein quantification. Such information will be valuable for therapeutic decision making and the development of differential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Key milestones include: a) Design and specification of system components;b) Prototype assembly;and c) Test and performance verification.
Specific Aim 2 : Quantify sensor system performance, sensor overall functionality, and sensitivity for multi-protein detection in small volumes of blood and serum. Relevant biomarker protein concentrations will be measured using highly target-specific antibodies or aptamers and established laboratory model systems of ovarian serous papillary carcinoma. While sensor elements and systems have been fabricated in our labs previously, designs will be optimized for this application with tailored surface chemistries to obtain a robust detection system for pre- clinical use. Results will be compared to those taken with standard methods to clearly quantify advantages of this new approach. Key milestones include: a) Quantitative sensor performance characterization;and b) Sensor design and fabrication optimization using robust surface chemistries for research and pre-clinical use.
Among gynecologic tumors, ovarian carcinoma has the highest lethality rate with over 16,000 cases in the US in 2005. Despite its high incidence rate, there are serious difficulties with diagnosis of the disease itself as well as with early detection of disease onset. In this project, powerful sensor systems will be developed that have the potential to provide early analysis and diagnosis thereby providing significantly refined therapeutic management and targeted therapy development for ovarian carcinomas.
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