LATERAL FLOW MICROARRAY TEST STRIPS FOR EARLY STAGE OVARIAN CANCER DIAGNOSIS

Ovarian cancer ranks first among gynecological cancers in the number of deaths each year. New diagnostic tools that could be used for the early detection of ovarian cancer could substantially increase the survival rate from this disease. Biomarkers present in serum can be used to provide diagnosis of the disease at an early stage. CA 125 levels in serum are currently measured in ovarian cancer diagnosis. CA 125 does not have the sensitivity and specificity needed for early diagnosis, and recent studies show that the measurement of CA 125 in combination with other biomarkers can improve the sensitivity and specificity of ovarian cancer diagnosis. In this project, Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc. proposes to develop a simple, sensitive, and specific lateral flow microarray test strip to diagnose early stage ovarian cancer. In Phase I, we will develop a quantitative lateral flow test strip to quantify multiple markers indicative of ovarian cancer in serum samples and compare the results to published literature data. In Phase II, we will optimize the performance of the test strips. The proposed technology has tremendous applications in cancer diagnosis and other medical applications.