Project description
A new way to detect cancer gene mutations
Detecting specific KRAS mutations is critical for diagnosing, monitoring and selecting therapies for various cancers. While advanced detection methods, such as polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing, are highly accurate, they require thermal cycling, expensive equipment and specialised laboratory facilities. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PEAKRAS project aims to develop a highly sensitive, decentralised point-of-care testing platform for KRAS oncogene mutations. Based on a photoelectrochemical approach, the platform combines mismatch hairpin recycling and singlet oxygen redox cycling, creating a double layer of signal amplification to achieve an ultralow detection limit. This can be integrated into portable testing apparatus, making early cancer screening more affordable and accessible.
Objective
Cancer causes ~10 million deaths annually and a projected $25.2 trillion economic burden by 2050. Nearly half of cases are diagnosed late, underscoring the need for rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools. The KRAS oncogene is a major driver of colorectal, pancreatic, and lung cancers and serves as a critical biomarker for early detection, prognosis, treatment selection, and recurrence monitoring. With approved KRAS inhibitors and >85 investigational agents, the demand for accurate mutation testing is rising.
Current circulating tumor DNA assays rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS), which achieve low mutant allele fraction (MAF) thresholds but require thermal cycling, costly instruments, and central laboratories. Optical and electrochemical alternatives simplify hardware but remain limited to picomolar detection and often lack selectivity in high wild-type backgrounds.
To address these challenges, I introduce PEAKRAS, a highly sensitive, dual-amplification photoelectrochemical (PEC) assay for KRAS mutation detection. The platform physically integrates mismatch hairpin recycling with singlet oxygen–mediated PEC redox cycling, enabling two layers of amplification without thermal cycling or electrode modification. This design targets a limit of detection of 0.1–10 fM while enabling reliable discrimination of mutant alleles below 1% MAF in plasma. By combining molecular selectivity encoded in mismatch hairpin kinetics with a simple, portable PEC transduction scheme, PEAKRAS overcomes major barriers to point-of-care mutation testing.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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