# Development of A Novel Nanoparticle Biosensor for Rapid, Point-of-Care Sepsis Diagnosis and Risk Assessment

> **NIH NIH R43** · NAMI DIAGNOSTICS LLC · 2023 · $224,079

## Abstract

Abstract. In the United States, about 1.7 million adults affected by sepsis annually, which leads to more than
270,000 deaths per year. If sepsis cannot be diagnosed and treated early, it not only causes high morbidity
and mortality rates, but also poses a major burden to the healthcare system since septic patients are generally
hospitalized for extended stay and rarely discharged from ICU before 2-3 weeks. In response to this health
problem, NaMi Diagnostics collaborates with Texas Tech University to develop a nanoparticle-based
electrochemical testing kit to pinpoint early sign of sepsis before it progresses systemic inflammatory response
syndrome (SIRS) and other serious complications. Our technology features include high sensitivity, fast
turnaround results, multiplexing capability, quantitative measurement, cost-efficiency, and portability. The
proposed study design is adapted from a prototype sensor architecture that has been previously applied to
detect food pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella yet utilizes sepsis-specific cell markers
validated in a microfluidic platform by our project collaborator. Specifically, the key component of our testing
platform includes functionalized magnetic particles for isolation of target immune cells specific to sepsis and
employs different types of modified metal sulfide nanoparticles for identification and detection, producing nearly
real-time diagnostic answers, enabling prompt medical intervention, and allowing long-term monitoring of
sepsis survivors to prevent the recurrence of sepsis. The proposed workflow is simple, requiring minimal
infrastructure and labor, and can be readily implemented in point-of-care and resource-limited settings. The
goal of upcoming Phase I project at NaMi Diagnostics will be demonstrating the feasibility for sensitive and
simultaneous detection of leukocytes with upregulated CD64 and CD69 expression as proof-of-concept for
early and accurate sepsis diagnosis. To validate the prognostic value for severe disease, correlation between
testing result and clinical outcome in sepsis patients will be also explored in this study.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10602155
- **Project number:** 1R43AI174456-01
- **Recipient organization:** NAMI DIAGNOSTICS LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Ke Liu
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $224,079
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-06-14 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10602155

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10602155, Development of A Novel Nanoparticle Biosensor for Rapid, Point-of-Care Sepsis Diagnosis and Risk Assessment (1R43AI174456-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10602155. Licensed CC0.

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