Milestones

Pre-2015:

Dr. Schwartz notes need for noninvasive diagnostic for oral cancer based on brush biopsy.

2015:

Drs. Adami, Schwartz and oral surgeon Antonia Kolokythas develop a significantly improved diagnostic test method using microRNA. Proof of concept and provisional patent filed. Discovery that miRNA measurement in oral lesions is accurate and reproducible and exceeds requirements for accurate diagnosis of oral cancer.

2016:

Drs. Adami, Schwartz, and Kolokythas received rights to the microRNA method from UIC.

Patent filed – Accurate microRNA technology for oral lesion samples obtained noninvasively.

2019:

Patent US20230250486A1 issued. Process for the identification of patients at risk for OSCC issued for microRNA based diagnosis/detection for Oral cancer using brush biopsy or similar. 

Awarded $60,000 From Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) at UIC to expand on work.

2025-2026:

Improved prototype classifier based on 75 brush biopsy samples show sensitivity of 91%

and specificity of 86% for the diagnosis of oral cancer, matching surgical biopsy.