CancerNCT07916636
Detection Technology of Peripheral Blood ctDNA Based on CRISPR/Cas and Gold Nanoparticles
An observational study of Cancer and Circulating Tumor DNA Detection, run by The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This study tests a new, fast blood test that may help detect very small traces of tumor DNA in the bloodstream. When tumor cells die, they release small pieces of DNA called circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) into the blood. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer, Circulating Tumor DNA Detection
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 21 Jan 2027to 1 Dec 2029
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The study population consists of two groups: (1) Cancer patients - adult patients with BRCA1-related tumors (e.g., breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer) receiving care at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (lead site) and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University (participating site), who agree to provide a peripheral blood sample; and (2) Healthy volunteers - adults without a history of cancer, recruited at the participating hospitals as the control group for specificity assessment. All participants provide written informed consent before enrollment. Participants are recruited based on the principles of voluntariness and fairness, without discrimination by race, gender, or socioeconomic status
Who may be able to join
- Adults (≥18 years of age) diagnosed with a malignant tumor at one of the participating hospitals
- Patients willing and able to provide written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Patients who refuse or are unable to sign the informed consent form
- Patients with severe hematologic or coagulation disorders that make blood collection infeasible
- Healthy volunteers: adults (≥18 years) with no history of cancer, willing to provide written informed consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
China1 site
The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
Zhengzhou, Henan
Tengfei Zhang, 15093333574, fcczhangtf@zzu.edu.cn
About this study
This study tests a new, fast blood test that may help detect very small traces of tumor DNA in the bloodstream. When tumor cells die, they release small pieces of DNA called circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) into the blood. Finding these pieces can help doctors diagnose cancer, monitor how well treatment is working, and detect cancer recurrence earlier. However, ctDNA is present in very small amounts and is hard to detect with current methods. Newer techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) can find ctDNA, but they are expensive, require specialized laboratories, and take days to return results. This study evaluates a new testing method called "CRISPR/Cas12a combined with gold nanoparticle detection." This method uses a gene-editing protein (Cas12a) that can recognize a specific mutation in the BRCA1 gene and a gold nanoparticle-based readout that shows results within about 30 minutes, using portable equipment.
The main purpose of this study is to find out how accurate, sensitive, and specific this new test is compared with NGS, which is considered the gold standard. The study will also check whether the portable device works consistently across different hospitals and whether the test results match patients' responses to treatment.
Read more
The study will enroll adult cancer patients treated at participating hospitals and a group of healthy volunteers. All participants will provide about 3 mL of blood (less than one teaspoon). No additional invasive procedures or extra hospital visits are required beyond routine blood draws. For cancer patients, part of the blood sample will be tested with the new method and part will be tested with standard NGS, and the two results will be compared. Healthy volunteers' blood will be used to confirm that the test does not produce false positive results.
There is no direct physical harm from the test itself, since it is performed on blood samples in the laboratory. Participants will receive the ctDNA test free of charge, and their test results may help their doctors better understand their disease.
The results of this study may help develop a rapid, low-cost, bedside test for tumor DNA, which could improve cancer diagnosis and monitoring in the future.
- Conditions
- Cancer, Circulating Tumor DNA Detection
- Keywords
- CRISPR/Cas12a, Circulating tumor DNA, ctDNA, BRCA1 enhancer mutation, Liquid biopsy
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer patients | Patients with BRCA1-related tumors (e.g., breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer) enrolled at participating hospitals. Approximately 3 mL of EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood is collected from each participant. Each sample is tested by both the investigational CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA detection method and next-generation sequencing (NGS, the gold standard reference), and the results of the two methods are compared to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity. | |
| Healthy Volunteers | Healthy adults without a history of cancer, enrolled as the control group for specificity assessment. Approximately 3 mL of EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood is collected from each participant and tested by the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle method to determine the false positive rate. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Diagnostic accuracy of the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA test compared with NGS
The agreement between the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA detection method and next-generation sequencing (NGS, the gold standard reference) will be evaluated in tumor patient samples. Diagnostic accuracy is measured by the Kappa coefficient of concordance between the two methods, with Kappa ≥0.85 considered excellent agreement. Sensitivity (detection positive rate of 1 pM, 0.5 pM, and 0.1 pM target ctDNA samples; ≥95% considered qualified) and specificity (false positive rate in 50 healthy volunteer samples; ≤5% considered qualified) will also be assessed.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Secondary outcomes (1)
Stability of the portable detection device across multiple centers
Inter-site consistency of the portable device will be assessed by the coefficient of variation (CV) of the same batch of standard samples tested at multiple centers; CV ≤10% is considered qualified.
Measured: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Nov 2026
- Study start21 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Dec 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Tengfei Zhang, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07916636
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2026-KY-0225-003
- Status last verified
- Nov 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 4 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Detection Technology of Peripheral Blood ctDNA Based on CRISPR/Cas and Gold Nanoparticles
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07916636
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2026-KY-0225-003
- Conditions
- Cancer, Circulating Tumor DNA Detection
- Keywords
- CRISPR/Cas12a, Circulating tumor DNA, ctDNA, BRCA1 enhancer mutation, Liquid biopsy
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 21 Jan 2027 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Nov 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study tests a new, fast blood test that may help detect very small traces of tumor DNA in the bloodstream. When tumor cells die, they release small pieces of DNA called circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) into the blood. Finding these pieces can help doctors diagnose cancer, monitor how well treatment is working, and detect cancer recurrence earlier. However, ctDNA is present in very small amounts and is hard to detect with current methods. Newer techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) can find ctDNA, but they are expensive, require specialized laboratories, and take days to return results. This study evaluates a new testing method called "CRISPR/Cas12a combined with gold nanoparticle detection." This method uses a gene-editing protein (Cas12a) that can recognize a specific mutation in the BRCA1 gene and a gold nanoparticle-based readout that shows results within about 30 minutes, using portable equipment.
The main purpose of this study is to find out how accurate, sensitive, and specific this new test is compared with NGS, which is considered the gold standard. The study will also check whether the portable device works consistently across different hospitals and whether the test results match patients' responses to treatment.
The study will enroll adult cancer patients treated at participating hospitals and a group of healthy volunteers. All participants will provide about 3 mL of blood (less than one teaspoon). No additional invasive procedures or extra hospital visits are required beyond routine blood draws. For cancer patients, part of the blood sample will be tested with the new method and part will be tested with standard NGS, and the two results will be compared. Healthy volunteers' blood will be used to confirm that the test does not produce false positive results.
There is no direct physical harm from the test itself, since it is performed on blood samples in the laboratory. Participants will receive the ctDNA test free of charge, and their test results may help their doctors better understand their disease.
The results of this study may help develop a rapid, low-cost, bedside test for tumor DNA, which could improve cancer diagnosis and monitoring in the future.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer patients | – | –Patients with BRCA1-related tumors (e.g., breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer) enrolled at participating hospitals. Approximately 3 mL of EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood is collected from each participant. Each sample is tested by both the investigational CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA detection method and next-generation sequencing (NGS, the gold standard reference), and the results of the two methods are compared to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity. |
| Healthy Volunteers | – | –Healthy adults without a history of cancer, enrolled as the control group for specificity assessment. Approximately 3 mL of EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood is collected from each participant and tested by the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle method to determine the false positive rate. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The study population consists of two groups: (1) Cancer patients - adult patients with BRCA1-related tumors (e.g., breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer) receiving care at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (lead site) and Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University (participating site), who agree to provide a peripheral blood sample; and (2) Healthy volunteers - adults without a history of cancer, recruited at the participating hospitals as the control group for specificity assessment. All participants provide written informed consent before enrollment. Participants are recruited based on the principles of voluntariness and fairness, without discrimination by race, gender, or socioeconomic status
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Adults (≥18 years of age) diagnosed with a malignant tumor at one of the participating hospitals
- Patients willing and able to provide written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Patients who refuse or are unable to sign the informed consent form
- Patients with severe hematologic or coagulation disorders that make blood collection infeasible
- Healthy volunteers: adults (≥18 years) with no history of cancer, willing to provide written informed consent
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Diagnostic accuracy of the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA test compared with NGS
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
The agreement between the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA detection method and next-generation sequencing (NGS, the gold standard reference) will be evaluated in tumor patient samples. Diagnostic accuracy is measured by the Kappa coefficient of concordance between the two methods, with Kappa ≥0.85 considered excellent agreement. Sensitivity (detection positive rate of 1 pM, 0.5 pM, and 0.1 pM target ctDNA samples; ≥95% considered qualified) and specificity (false positive rate in 50 healthy volunteer samples; ≤5% considered qualified) will also be assessed.
1 secondary outcome
Stability of the portable detection device across multiple centers
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Cancer and Circulating Tumor DNA Detection, run by The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University at 1 site in China.
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 2 inclusion and 3 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 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 China. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Xiangwen Dong (+86 15515997079, dongxiangwen1234@163.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Diagnostic accuracy of the CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanoparticle ctDNA test compared with NGS (time frame: through study completion, an average of 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 4 Nov 2026.