Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary a Project Grant of $642,406 under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) for the period June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031. The research will develop and validate blood-based liquid biopsy screening methods to detect human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated anal cancers and precancers at their earliest stages. Specifically, the project will utilize HPV whole genome sequencing and fragmentomics analysis—an emerging field that examines DNA fragment characteristics—to create ultrasensitive and specific diagnostic tools capable of differentiating high-grade precancers requiring therapeutic intervention from low-grade precancers and infection that can be safely monitored through surveillance.

This research addresses a critical gap in early cancer detection by targeting viral cell-free DNA, which exists in higher copy numbers than human DNA and thus provides stronger signals for detecting oncogenic viruses. Given that HPV causes approximately 5% of all cancers worldwide and develops progressively over decades, the ability to identify HPV+ cancers and precancers in blood specimens years before clinical diagnosis would enable secondary prevention and earlier therapeutic intervention when tumors are most therapeutically vulnerable. The deliverables will include validated assay methodologies, analytical performance data, and a model system demonstrating the feasibility of blood-based HPV+ cancer and precancer screening applicable across multiple cancer types caused by oncogenic viruses.