Detection Technology of Peripheral Blood ctDNA Based on CRISPR/Cas and Gold Nanoparticles

November 1, 2026 updated by: Tengfei Zhang, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University

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 Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Henan
      • Zhengzhou, Henan, China
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
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 the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
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.
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Stability of the portable detection device across multiple centers
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year

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.
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 21, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 1, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2026-KY-0225-003

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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