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  5. Sarath Raju, MD
Sarath Raju, MD

Sarath Raju, MD

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Research Project:
Lung-Specific Cell Free DNA as a Biomarker of Disease Severity and Progression Risk in COPD

Grant Awarded:

  • ACRC Pilot Grant

Research Topics:

  • biomarkers
  • clinical research
  • imaging radiology

Research Diseases:

  • COPD
  • emphysema

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death and healthcare expenditure in the United States. Some COPD patients achieve disease stability and have minimal symptoms, while others experience accelerated disease progression. It remains challenging to predict which patients are at higher risk and would benefit from earlier intervention. There is a need to develop non-invasive markers that predict which patients face the greatest risk for adverse outcomes. Cell free DNA (cfDNA) can be measured in the blood and is a promising biomarker of early organ injury. Recently, methods have been developed to identify cfDNA that is specific to the lung and organs of interest, and these tissue and organ-specific biomarkers may ultimately predict adverse outcomes in COPD. We will determine associations between tissue-specific cfDNA and both measures of present severity and future risk for adverse outcomes in COPD. This has the potential to identify high-risk patients and improve clinical care for people with COPD.

Page last updated: October 7, 2024

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