# Project 2 - Molecular Markers for Barrett's Screening and Surveillance

> **NIH NIH U54** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $283,277

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY 
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has increased more than 5-fold in the past three decades 
while the prognosis has remained poor. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the only known precursor of EAC. 
Endoscopy (EGD) is the only method to diagnose BE but because EGD is expensive and screening is not 
recommended very few EACs are detected in patients with pre-diagnosed BE. To make an impact on the 
prevention and early detection of EAC the challenge is to first develop an alternative method for screening that 
is less costly and safer than EGD while being acceptable and accessible. A non-endoscopic detection method 
would allow screening in the primary care setting. Aberrant methylation of vimentin and other markers can be 
detected in DNA extracted from endoscopic brushings in over 90% of BE subjects. The BETRNet focus of Project 
2 is to directly translate these epigenetic markers of BE and EAC that we have discovered to clinically novel 
methods for detection and risk stratification of BE. This project grows out of the discovery that methylated genes, 
have the potential to be used as detection biomarkers for BE or EAC. This project: 
 1) Uses a novel non-endoscopic distal esophageal sampling method to determine the accuracy of 
 methylation markers as detection markers for BE; 
 2) Detects BE in an unscreened population of colonoscopy patients by assaying the optimal marker(s) 
 3) Determines whether a panel of aberrantly methylated genes associated with high grade dysplasia and 
 EAC can be detected in esophageal brushings or nonendoscopic distal esophageal samples to enable 
 risk stratification strategies; 
Project 2 is clearly aimed at having significant translational impact at decreasing mortality from EAC through the 
development of a convenient non-invasive screening program.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10153703
- **Project number:** 5U54CA163060-10
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SANFORD D. MARKOWITZ
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $283,277
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-26 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10153703

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10153703, Project 2 - Molecular Markers for Barrett's Screening and Surveillance (5U54CA163060-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10153703. Licensed CC0.

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