Apply DESI-MSI to HCC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Application of desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging to hepatocellular carcinoma
IRAS ID
265497
Contact name
Mark Thursz
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 9 days
Research summary
Although liver cancer is only the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer, the high mortality to incidence ratio (0.95) makes it the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The main cause of this high mortality rate is that patients with liver cancer are usually diagnosed at late stages since they have only subtle clinical presentations at the early stages. The widely used biomarker for HCC, Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), had previously been considered as a diagnostic test, but is no longer recommended due to its low sensitivity and specificity. According to literature reviews and our previous studies (unpublished data), metabolomics can be a possible way to find diagnostic biomarkers for HCC (1). In this study, we will apply the DESI-MSI technique to HCC tissue samples in order to investigate the underlying mechanism (2).
(1) Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 12(8):458-471.
(2) Science 306(5695):471-473.REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EE/0301
Date of REC Opinion
20 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion