Award
National Institutes of Health 5R37CA289714-02
Engineering ingestible nanosensors for breath-based detection of colorectal cancer
Recipient
Georgia Institute of Technology
Award Amount
$565,564.00
Ceiling
$565,564.00
Awarded
February 27, 2026
Identifier
5R37CA289714-02
Award to Georgia Institute of Technology to develop ingestible nanosensors for noninvasive breath-based early detection of colorectal cancer, targeting enzymes involved in tumor development and using animal models for testing.
Description
This project aims to develop ingestible nanosensors capable of sensing disease activity within the intestine and producing amplified reporter signals in breath, serving as synthetic breath biomarkers for early-stage colorectal cancer detection. The nanosensors will target specific enzymes involved in tumor development, including host enzymes regulating growth and angiogenesis, as well as microbiome enzymes promoting tumorigenesis. The nanosensors will be designed for oral delivery, releasing volatile reporters upon degradation by target enzymes. These reporters will be exhaled rapidly, allowing detection via mass spectrometry. Animal models of CRC will be used to test the platform, with the goal of enabling noninvasive, breath-based detection of GI diseases.