# Paper-Analytical Device for Saliva Biomarker Diagnostics

> **NIH NIH R21** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $371,319

## Abstract

Project Summary:
Heart failure (HF) affects 5.7M people annually in the United States with 1 in 9 deaths linked to the disorder.
Measuring diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers at the point of care is key for reducing HF-related deaths but
invasive blood-based diagnostic tests require extensive resources and are expensive. A critical need for sensitive
assays that utilize non-invasive samples remains a pressing need for point-of-care diagnostics. Here, we propose
to develop an innovative solution to rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive measurements of biomarkers in saliva that
are correlated with HF. To address this need, a paper-based analytic device (PAD) that combines saliva sample
processing with sensitive electrochemical biosensors to detect galectin-3 (Gal-3) and s100A7 as biomarkers of
HF in saliva will be developed. The project consists of two aims, 1) demonstration of a sensitive, selective
electrochemical PAD for s100A7 and Gal-3 and 2) development of a PAD that can rapidly and efficiently process
saliva of varying viscosities in minutes. This project is an international collaboration between the Henry group at
Colorado State University (CSU) and the Punyadeera group at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
in Australia. The international collaboration is justified because the Henry group has expertise in PADs and the
Punyadeera group has experience with saliva-based diagnostics. Once successful, we will expand both the number
and type of biomarkers for both cardiovascular disease and head/neck cancers. We will also be poised to expand
on-going clinical studies of saliva-based biomarkers to further validate their use as non-invasive biomarkers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10042909
- **Project number:** 1R21EB030349-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Charles S Henry
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $371,319
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2023-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10042909

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10042909, Paper-Analytical Device for Saliva Biomarker Diagnostics (1R21EB030349-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10042909. Licensed CC0.

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