Nanosensors Can Successfully Detect Early Signs of Cancer with Simple Blood Test
New technology involving the use of small nanosensors can detect early signs of cancer in the routine blood samples of patients. Nanosensors are biological, chemical, or surgical sensory points used to provide information about nanoparticles, the small objects representing the larger whole in terms of transport and properties.
A group of researchers from Yale University have now developed a method by which the nanosensors seek out and report information on the concentrations of biomarkers in whole blood for prostate and breast cancers. The research was led by Mark Reed, associate director of the Yale Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering in New Haven, Connecticut. The findings of the analysis were published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
According to Reed, the nanosensors have the ability to “sense the absorption of molecules on its surface and give an electrical signal output.” He also noted that the technology “can generally be applied to many other types of biomarkers.” This lends hope to the establishment of low-cost, fast and easy testing that can be performed right in a doctor's office to detect cancer in its early stages.
Nanotechnology is able to work at the sub-cellular level. Current technologies work in a similar way to the new technology, but are only able to detect biomarkers in purified solutions of fluid samples from patients. Although nanosensors have actually been in use for the past decade, they could on work in controlled, laboratory settings, and this process could take several days to complete. However, with the new technology, small amounts of blood are used for a mere twenty-minute process.
On the results of the latest nanotechnology research, Reed said, “The real achievement here was demonstrating this with blood, which was a longstanding goal. It could not be done before because blood has too much salt and other stuff in it, which prevents this type of sensing. We developed a method to filtrate out specifically what we want to detect.” He went on to explain that this is the first time that scientists have been able to use the sensors with whole blood, which is a complicated solution containing proteins and ions and other things that affect detection.
For their analysis, the researchers developed a device to act as a filter to catch antigens specific to prostate and breast cancer on a chip, while the rest of the blood was washed away. These antigens built up on the chip, allowing for 10 percent accuracy of detection at an extremely small concentration of picograms per milliliter, which is equivalent to detecting the concentration of a single grain of salt in a large swimming pool.
The newly developed device can also be used to detect a broad range of other biomarkers for conditions such as ovarian cancer, and even cardiovascular disease. All the targeted biomarkers can be searched out at the same time, in just one simple test. In addition, there is a significant cost advantage in the production of the device. Reed acknowledged, “The advantage of this technology is that it takes the same effort to make a million devices as it does to make just one. We’ve brought the power of modern microelectronics to cancer detection.”
