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DiabetesNCT06862778

Clinical Diagnosis of Diabetes Using Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Liquid Biopsy and Machine Learning

A study testing SERS in people with Diabetes, run by University Hospital, Aachen at 1 site in Germany.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This project aims to adapt the gold nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology to clinical application. In this exploratory study, a measurement protocol will be established to investigate whether SERS (combined with multivariate data analysis or machine learning algorithms) allows the… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Diabetes
What is being tested?
SERS
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
52 participants
Where
1 siteGermany
Study dates
2 Feb 2024to 31 Jul 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Patient at Nishtar Medical University
  • Patient age from 18 to 70 years
  • Confirmed disease (for diabetic group)

Who cannot join

  • Patients with severe concurrent diseases

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Germany1 site
  • RWTH Aachen university hospital

    Aachen, 52074

Other trials in Germany

About this study

This project aims to adapt the gold nanoparticle-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology to clinical application. In this exploratory study, a measurement protocol will be established to investigate whether SERS (combined with multivariate data analysis or machine learning algorithms) allows the diagnosis of patients with diabetes.

Read the detailed description

This study on the clinical application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) comprises two parts. First, a SERS measurement protocol will be developed to enhance the interactions between gold nanoparticles and the components of the patient's samples, maximizing Raman spectroscopical signatures. Given the complex composition of human blood, which encompasses numerous biological constituents, the study focuses on serum, a component obtained through centrifugation after removing cells and clotting factors. Fifteen spectra will be recorded per sample. The raw spectra will be post-processed, including removal of the substrate signal, baseline correction, vector normalization, and smoothing steps.

The SERS measurement protocol established in the first section will subsequently be applied to samples of healthy and diabetes patients. Two different approaches will be followed. First, multivariate data analysis will be performed to identify distinctive feature characteristics in the samples that correlate to their group (healthy and diabetes patients), allowing patient diagnosis. Second, different machine learning algorithms and data augmentation strategies will be explored for better patient diagnosis.

Conditions
Diabetes
Being tested
SERS
Keywords
Diabetes, Sensing, SERS, Gold nanoparticles, Diagnositcs, Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Medical subject headings
Diabetes Mellitus

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • SERSDiagnostic test

    Also called Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

    Spectroscopic assessment of serum samples from healthy and diabetic patients to identify characteristics for diagnosis.

Study groups in NCT06862778
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
HealthyExperimentalThe Raman spectra of healthy patient samples will be measured in the presence of gold nanoparticles, which will enhance the spectroscopic characteristics of serum components via near-field enhancements.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: SERS
DiabetesExperimentalThe Raman spectra of diabetic patient samples will be measured in the presence of gold nanoparticles, which will enhance the spectroscopic characteristics of serum components via near-field enhancements.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: SERS

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. SERS measurements to differentiate between healthy and diabetic patients

    SERS assessment of healthy and diabetic patient samples to identify unique spectroscopical characteristics to discriminate between healthy and diabetic patients

    Measured: Through study competition, up to 1 year

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted6 Mar 2025
  2. Study start2 Feb 2024
  3. Primary completion31 Aug 2024
  4. Study completion31 Jul 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
52 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06862778
Sponsor's protocol ID
Diabetes SERS 01
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
1 Mar 2025
Last updated
28 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing SERS in people with Diabetes, run by University Hospital, Aachen at 1 site in Germany.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

SERS measurements to differentiate between healthy and diabetic patients (time frame: Through study competition, up to 1 year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Apr 2026.

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