| abstract |
Methods of the disclosure provide an analytical pipeline for mapping activity in a disease-specific manner. Any of a variety of diseases or medical conditions may be mapped using the analytical pipeline. In preferred embodiments, the pipeline uses expression data (e.g., from RNA-Seq) to identify proteases that are active in disease tissue and subject to differential expression relative to normal tissue. A machine learning classifier selects a subset of the proteases that identify the disease with a threshold sensitivity and specificity, in which the subset is small enough that a corresponding set of protease substrates may be assembled into a nanoparticle activity sensor that, when administered to a patient, are cleaved in the presence of disease tissue to release detectable analytes signifying presence of the disease. |