# CMA: Marker-assisted prevention and risk stratification (MAPRS): Artificial Intelligence Endoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Prevention (CMA1)

> **NIH VA I01** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2020 · —

## Abstract

This collaborative merit review application (CMA) aims to advance the precision management of
cancers, specifically marker-assisted prevention and risk stratification (MAPRS) of colorectal
cancers (CRCs). The third most common cancer in the USA, CRC accounts for nearly 10% of all
cancers among Veterans. MAPRS stems from a group of investigators from the VA Colorectal
Cancer Cellgenomics Collaborative (VA4C), created with the support of a VA Field-based Meeting
Award. The VA4C aims to advance basic/translational research on the prevention, early detection,
diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of CRCs. The proposed CMAs aim to disrupt these limitations
and significantly advance CRC prevention, detection, risk stratification and precision treatment by
advancing MAPRS. MAPRS-CMA aims to: CMA1) develop artificial intelligence-enhanced
endoscopy for colorectal cancer prevention; CMA2) examine mucin-based markers to improve
endoscopic detection, resection, histological classification and surveillance of neoplastic polyps;
CMA3) validate tissue and blood-based combinatorial biomarker panels derived from functional
pathway-specific studies to improve risk stratification; and CMA4) examine the potential of
cellgenomic drug-response profiling for precision CRC treatment.
 The main objective of our project, CMA1, is to create and establish within the VA an infrastructure
to enable us to develop, validate, and deploy machine learning (ML) /artificial intelligence (AI)
models to enhance endoscopy. The past decade has seen an explosion in biophotonic technologies
to more precisely diagnose and treat colonic neoplasia. The result is, however, increasingly
information-dense imaging to interpret and interact with during procedures. Not surprisingly,
technological enhancement of practice has remained restricted to experts at academic centers. Our
hypothesis is that reliable real-time polyp histology can be enabled for any operator by computer-
assisted diagnosis using ML/AI. This capability would finally open the door to widespread adoption
of cost-saving, ASGE-sanctioned resect-and-discard and leave-behind paradigms for diminutive
polyps. Thus, the specific aims of this project are: Aim 1: To create a large, scalable labeled
endoscopic databank for ML/AI research comprised of clinical image data uploaded from multiple
VA centers. Aim 2: To utilize this image repository to develop and validate ML/AI models that
enable real-time histology of polyps as well as Aim 3: To develop ML models for computer assisted
polyp detection in conjunction with mucin-based fluorescent biomarkers for widefield detection. Aim
4: Use ML/AI to help predict CRC drug response based on combined clinical factors and
cellgenomic data.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9852882
- **Project number:** 5I01BX004455-02
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** SATISH K SINGH
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9852882

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9852882, CMA: Marker-assisted prevention and risk stratification (MAPRS): Artificial Intelligence Endoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Prevention (CMA1) (5I01BX004455-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9852882. Licensed CC0.

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