Liangliang Hao, PhD

Point-of-care diagnostics saved millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic but has yet benefited chronic lung diseases. For life-threatening idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), one promising diagnostic approach is building biomarkers, indicators that can detect and differentiate diseases with similar symptoms at an early stage. However, advances of such biomarkers are limited by difficulties in determining the early cues that accurately reflect the molecular changes in the lung. We aim to develop an innovative early detection test for IPF that leverages the activity of disease-related proteases—enzymes that digest proteins—to shed specific sequences of DNA that are excreted in urine. Using CRISPR technology to analyze these DNA barcodes can predict a specific disease type. This test can be conducted noninvasively, requiring only a urine sample, and conveniently, on a paper-based system similar to a home COVID-19 test.

Update: Our team is developing a new, noninvasive test to help detect idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) earlier and monitor how the disease changes over time. In addition to looking at lung structure, this test also measures the activity of proteins involved in lung scarring (fibrosis), which may reveal disease before the lung is significantly damaged. During the past year, we analyzed large genetic datasets to identify proteins that are active during the earliest stages of lung fibrosis. We then developed and tested new molecular sensors that can detect the activity of these proteins and can be measured in samples such as urine as well as fluid collected from the lungs. We also established laboratory methods to compare these test results with changes seen directly in lung tissue. These advances prepare us to begin long-term studies and to test our new technology in samples from people with IPF. This work could lead to a simpler, more affordable test that helps doctors diagnose IPF earlier, monitor disease progression and evaluate how well treatments are working.