Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a deadly bile duct cancer that can be challenging to distinguish from benign fibrotic conditions. To improve detection, we developed activatable zymography probes (AZPs), peptide-based agents that bind to cancer cells after being cleaved by dysregulated proteases. I have screened 29 AZPs in a murine CCA model and identified 5 with significantly higher binding to CCA tumors compared to fibrotic lesions. Now, through this project, I will determine the specific proteases involved in AZP cleavage, develop a new peptide that requires two cleavage events for activation, and test an enhanced AZP6 for PET imaging. Additionally, I will improve our quantification pipeline with new scripts for detailed pixel-by-pixel colocalization analysis.

I am participating in SuperUROP because I want to further my research interests at the intersection of biological engineering and computational techniques. I am interested in developing new tools to address clinical difficulties in diagnosing cancer. I have enjoyed and am excited to expand my work in nanoparticle engineering while developing new analytical protocols.