Research Focus
Imagine, if we understood what the 30 trillions of cells in our body do at any given moment...
Now compare these 30 trillions of cells (not counting the microbiome!) to the earth population of 8B people (3,750 times more!). This creates a massive undertaking...
At CSB we develop innovative technologies to enable the discovery of new biology, drug targets and diagnostics.
Closer look into EV mRNA through SCOPE
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in blood samples can provide valuable information about cancer heterogeneity and progression without invasive procedures. EV mRNA is particularly useful, offering insights into mutations, drug resistance, and recurrence. However, detecting EV mRNA has been challenging due to its scarcity in clinical samples. CSB researchers have developed SCOPE (Self-amplified and CRISPR-aided Operation to Profile EVs) to address this issue. By innovatively using CRISPR technology, SCOPE can detect single-base mutations in just a drop of blood. In early clinical studies, SCOPE successfully monitored tumor recurrence in colorectal cancer patients and classified glioblastoma patients. This technology could accelerate clinical decision-making and improve the use of EVs in personalized cancer treatment. Learn more...
CreDiT to the Rescue: CRISPR and Digital Signal Processing for On-Site Nucleic Acid Detection
CRISPR technique has emerged as a powerful tool in nucleic acid (NA) detection. This study presents CreDiT (CRISPR Enhanced Digital Testing), a novel diagnostic system for rapid, on-site nucleic acid (NA) detection. CreDiT leverages CRISPR-Cas mediated targeting and digital signal processing inspired by digital radio communication. Specifically, the system employs digitally modulated light for sample excitation followed by numerical decoding of the measured fluorescent signal. This digital approach offers superior computational efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio compared to conventional analog methods, facilitating the development of a compact CreDiT device suitable for point-of-care applications. The researchers demonstrate the functionality of CreDiT by targeting high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) in clinical cervical brushing specimens. Learn more...
Coaxing macrophages to fight cancer
Our previous work found that high levels of tumor macrophages expressing the chemokine CXCL9 are associated with good clinical outcomes in cancer patients. Unfortunately, most tumor-associated macrophages do not express CXCL9. In this study, we develop a macrophage image screening approach to identify drugs that potentiate CXCL9 production. Here, we show a triplet drug combination incorporated into a macrophage-avid nanoparticle that strongly enhances macrophage CXCL9 production and triggers remarkable anti-tumor efficacy in mouse cancer models. We envision leveraging deep molecular analysis of anti-tumor macrophages with novel drug screening methods to develop new cancer treatment methods. Learn more...