This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop an improved assay for detection of the enzyme MMP-9, an important prognostic marker of melanoma metastatic potential, using new targeted Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Quantum Dots (BRET-QD) technology. This proposal will develop BRET-QO nanoprobes specifically designed to enable detection of MMP-9 in a homogeneous assay; it will then demonstrate and optimize a preliminary assay to detect MMP-9 from melanoma cell culture supernatants. The final aim of this proposal is to deliver a rapid, sensitive assay to determine the metastatic potential of melanoma from small amounts of tumor biopsy homogenates and which will compete favorably with state-of-the-art assays. All cancer types combined are estimated to cause 565,650 deaths in 2008, second only to heart disease and accounting for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States. To address the need for better detection and diagnosis, the proposal's long-term goals are to develop a series of sensitive, point-of-care assays to provide faster and more accurate diagnosis of several cancer types, including breast and non-small cell lung cancer. As appropriate, these assays will be optimized to detect markers from tumor biopsies or whole blood.
