Prabir Patra, director of biomedical engineering at the University of Bridgeport, and Manju Hingorani, a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry from Wesleyan University in Middletown, are developing diagnostic technology that uses tiny sensors to detect Lynch syndrome as early as possible.
Their work is funded by a $324,125 research grant from the Connecticut Department of Public Health that was awarded to Wesleyan. The University of Bridgeport was subawarded $149,152.
Lynch syndrome is a genetic disorder that increases the risk of colorectal, endometrial and other cancers.
Patra, who is also an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UB, said it is “extremely important” to diagnose the disease early. About 150,000 patients are diagnosed with colon cancer in the U.S. per year; of that, one in 35 has LS, and three or more of their relatives are at risk for the disorder, or roughly one in 500 Connecticut residents.
Current validated tests for the disease have limitations that lower their feasibility and widespread use in screening at-risk populations, UB said in a statement.
“How might DNA mismatch binding and signaling assays be transferred to nanoscale surfaces for greater sensitivity and ease of detection?” said Patra.
“This question has a significant implication for colorectal and other cancers. My group, as well as professor Hingorani”™s team from Wesleyan, is excited to develop a biosensor device that can advance the current standard of care by diagnosing such cancers way in advance.”
“Our hypothesis is that the core functions of MMR proteins can be measured directly, quantitatively, rapidly, reliably and at clinically relevant protein concentrations on a nano-structured surface,” Hingorani said.
