Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Government Funding Lapse

Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

Program Official
Guillermo Marquez, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Christian T Farrar
Awardee Organization

Massachusetts General Hospital
United States

Fiscal Year
2025
Activity Code
R01
Early Stage Investigator Grants (ESI)
Not Applicable
Project End Date
NIH RePORTER
For more information, see NIH RePORTER Project 4R01CA273010-04

Novel metabolomic contrast probes for human lung cancer characterization

Novel metabolomic contrast probes for human lung cancer characterization We identified preliminary proof-of-concept metabolomic markers for human LuCa from paired tissue and blood serum samples from pre-symptomatic LuCA patients. The markers can be used as imaging probes for Luca characterization. To validate the efficacy of the markers for classifying LuCa, we propose to evaluate and enhance their capability as probes for LuCa detection and ultimately advance LuCa early-detection using serum metabolomic markers. The project’s goal will be achieved through tasks in the following three specific aims: 1) To evaluate the efficacy of tissue-serum LuCa MRS metabolomic probes identified in a successful preliminary project, by comparison with an additional 200 pairs of tissue and serum specimens and 200 serum samples from matched healthy controls, 2) To measure tissue-serum LuCa MRS metabolomic probes with mass spectrometry (MS) and MS imaging (MSI) to associate the probes with LuCa pathologies and identify serum MS LuCa probes, and 3) To test LuCa metabolomics probes using 200 serum samples collected before LuCa detection and evaluate LuCa metabolomic probe health- and cost-effectiveness as compared to existing advanced tests. The project’s goal is to identify a novel serum contrast probe able to contribute to LuCa early disease detection at asymptomatic stages to overcome persistent challenges currently faced in the LuCa clinic.