# Early detection of HCC using noninvasive activity-based nanosensors

> **NIH NIH R44** · GLYMPSE BIO, INC. · 2021 · $964,382

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and arises from chronic liver
diseases (CLD) including hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and
nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Today, patients with CLDs are at high risk for HCC and are monitored
closely by imaging and serum biomarkers, but these platforms lack sensitivity for early stage HCC.
Consequently, although HCC can be cured by surgical resection, less than 10% of the greater than 500,000
newly diagnosed HCC patients per year worldwide undergo surgical resection because of late diagnosis. This
proposal aims to develop the Glympse liver test (GLT), a multiplexed, injectable diagnostic of activity-based
probes, which detect the activity of proteases that drive the pathological hallmarks of early stage HCC. These
HCC-specific proteases are upregulated regardless of etiology and their activities drive fundamental tumor
processes including angiogenesis, inflammation, and ECM degradation. The GLT platform is ultrasensitive to
early stage HCC by relying on two mechanisms for signal amplification; detection signals are generated by
protease activity which amplifies signals by enzyme turnover, and are concentrated by renal filtration into urine
for quantification by mass spectrometry. We will identify etiology independent HCC proteases and formulate
GLT nanosensors on inert polymer scaffolds for human use. We will then validate the ability of GLT to detect
early stage HCC in mouse models covering major etiologies, benchmarking against imaging and serum
biomarkers, and then conduct preclinical toxicology studies in preparation for an IND submission. The GLT
offers clinician a rapid and sensitive diagnosis of early stage HCC compared to imaging and blood biomarkers.
The ability of GLT to detect HCC at an early stage will significantly improve response rates (60–70% at Stage
1), saving 20,000 lives from 30,000 patient deaths every year. The benefit to the healthcare system will be
greater than $400 million based on increasing the number of curative resection surgeries while significantly
reducing the number of liver transplants. The impact of the GLT for HCC will increase early stage diagnosis
rates, reduce healthcare costs associated with treating late-stage HCC, and ultimately improve patient
outcomes due to increased treatment options for physicians.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10241551
- **Project number:** 5R44CA228743-03
- **Recipient organization:** GLYMPSE BIO, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Wendy Winckler
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $964,382
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10241551

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10241551, Early detection of HCC using noninvasive activity-based nanosensors (5R44CA228743-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10241551. Licensed CC0.

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