I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Precision Biomarker and Therapeutics for Advanced Cancers

Award ID: 2450154

This I-Corps project focuses on the development of a technology for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Cancer remains the second leading cause of deaths in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 618,120 people are projected to die from cancer in in 2025. There is an urgent need for more accurate diagnostic tools and more effective therapies for this devastating disease. This technology aims to help physicians accurately detect cancer diseases and to make informed treatment decisions. It also enables oncologists to manage patients more efficiently, ultimately improving quality of life. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. This solution is based on the development of a PI3K-based cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. The protein PI3K is overexpressed in a wide range of cancers, including both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In particular, upregulation of PI3K splice isoforms has been associated with increased tumor aggressiveness and drug resistance. This technology provides a solution for clinicians and researchers to detect the cancer disease at the molecular level and more accurately predict clinical outcomes for the patients. Moreover, PI3K-based therapeutic agents - used as single agents or in combination with other FDA-approved chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, and hormonal drugs - have the great potential to effectively treat high-grade and treatment-resistant cancers. The development of the PI3K-based technology facilitates the development of precision diagnosis/prognosis and novel therapeutics for aggressive cancers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman