Development and evaluation of a test for the miRNA-203 biomarker detection in liquid biopsy sample for the diagnosis of head and neck cancer

• Grant number: 22/12827-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Martimiano do Prado
• Grantee: Thiago Martimiano do Prado
• Company: Clyons Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Biotecnologia Inova Simples (IS)
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• City: São Carlos
• Associated researchers: Matias Eliseo Melendez ; Ronaldo Censi Faria
• Associated research grant(s): 24/17117-2 - Prototyping of Molecular Testing and Clinical-Analytical Validation of Cervical Micrometastases Diagnosis in Head and Neck Cancer, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/14550-4 - Development and evaluation of a test for the miRNA-203 biomarker detection in liquid biopsy, BP.PIPE; 23/04960-0 - Development and evaluation of a test for the miRNA-203 biomarker detection in liquid biopsy sample for the diagnosis of Head and Neck Cancer, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Head and neck cancer has a high mortality rate due to the patient being diagnosed at an advanced stage, also making treatment difficult. Diagnosis of head and neck cancer is usually based on ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and histopathological examination. Therefore, the development of simpler, less invasive tests that allow differentiating between patients with metastatic and non-metastatic cancer is essential due to the high incidence of this type of cancer and the difficulties in diagnosing metastasis. miRNA-203 has been shown to be an important biomarker in studies related to head and neck cancer and is expressed in lymph node samples from metastatic patients when compared to non-metastatic patients. This proposal aims to evaluate the technical feasibility of detecting miRNA-203 in blood and the ability to differentiate patients with metastatic from non-metastatic cancer, aiming at the development of a simple and rapid liquid biopsy test. The test will be performed using blood samples obtained via digital puncture, which will bring greater comfort to the patient when compared to a biopsy by FNA. For this, two miRNA-203 detection strategies will be evaluated, one based on the use of electrochemical methods and disposable devices and the second method that involves the use of optical detection methods. The correlation between the levels of the biomarker in the blood serum may provide important information about the staging of the disease and allow the follow-up of patients undergoing treatment. This study is expected to obtain the necessary results for submission of a PIPE phase 2 project and thus arrive at a new method for liquid biopsy via miRNA-203 detection that is simpler and faster when compared to RT-PCR. The company Clyons Diagnóstica is a newly created startup whose purpose is to develop innovative point-of-care devices for the detection of biomarkers to help health professionals in decision-making quickly and effectively. With the advancement of this project, it is expected to obtain a new method for the liquid biopsy that can be applied to the detection of other biomarkers for other types of diseases. (AU)