I-Corps: Translation Potential of Rapid Assessment of Neuroinjury in Liquid Biopsies

This I-Corps project is based on the translation from lab to market of a technology for the early detection and categorization of head trauma and traumatic brain injury (TBI). This solution provides a fast and accurate diagnosis of TBI, which causes high rates of death and disability with significant social and economic consequences. Commercialization of this technology has the potential to benefit society by enabling early detection of mild TBI through a simple blood test and quantitatively assessing its severity, which is critical to prevent severe outcomes from repeated injuries that are common in sports and combat.

This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of a highly sensitive and accurate detection system that identifies and monitors traumatic brain injury (TBI) using liquid biopsies, such as blood samples. This new solution consists of a system to analyze extracellular vesicles (EVs) found in the blood and their specific contents.

EVs are examined due to their unique properties: they protect the integrity of biomarkers, are stable, and can cross the blood-brain barrier. The content of EVs mirrors the activity of their originating cells, including neurons and glial cells in the brain, offering crucial insights into the condition of the brain. This approach establishes a reliable method for detecting and categorizing TBI severity through a simple blood test.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.