Project description
Detecting disease-related micro-RNA changes in bodily fluids
On a large scale, early disease detection relies on sensitive testing that can pinpoint molecular changes before symptoms arise. However, existing methods often lack the cost-effectiveness required for widespread implementation, hindering access to timely screening. With this in mind, the ERC-funded MiRACLE project combines breakthroughs in optical sensing, biochemistry, and computation to develop a highly sensitive and economically viable diagnostic platform. Its overall aim is to develop a robust platform to spot disease-related micro-RNA changes directly in bodily fluids, without amplification. With lymphoma patients as the initial cohort, MiRACLE sets out to redefine health management, rivalling established methods like RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR.
Objective
Early detection of disease on a population scale (screening) relies on highly sensitive testing, able to detect early molecular changes, coupled with cost-effectiveness that enables economic access to such testing at scale.
The MiRACLE project addresses these challenges by combining a breakthrough optical sensing approach for single-molecule detection with creative biochemistry and computation. The ground-breaking goal of this research proposal is to develop a robust diagnostic platform capable of detecting disease-induced changes in micro-RNA expression by counting individual RNA molecules directly in bodily fluids without the need for amplification.
This innovation will be realized by a novel, computationally assisted single-molecule detection scheme that, unlike common single-molecule detection methods, enables detecting a full panel of biomarkers simultaneously in a single snapshot, offering ultimate sensitivity at exceptionally low-cost. These attributes make this technology suitable for large-scale population screening and health management.
Promising preliminary results show that MiRACLE can detect and count individual RNA targets in mixtures of synthetic miRs in physiological sub-femtomolar concentrations. These preliminary results highlight the potential of this approach for ultra-sensitive early detection of disease and a provisional patent has been submitted.
Within the proposed project a proof of principle will be performed on a cohort of lymphoma patients and healthy controls that will be classified by the miracle approach. The technology will be benchmarked against existing state-of-the-art methods such as RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel