A breakthrough in rapid cancer detection methods.

On February 24, American researchers announced a breakthrough in developing a simple, inexpensive method for detecting cancer that can provide results within minutes using paper test strips.

Sangeeta Bhatia, the lead author of the study. (Source: MIT)

The research results, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, indicate that this urine-based diagnostic method works similarly to a pregnancy test.

According to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), this method involves using technology to amplify signals from hard-to-detect cancer proteins by injecting a special type of ultrafine particle into the body of the person being diagnosed.

These microparticles, coated with peptides (containing linked amino acids), can interact with cancer proteins called proteases (enzymes that break down proteins through hydrolysis).

In the patient's body, these particles accumulate in tumors, where proteases break down peptides—biomarkers—from the particles. The peptides are then transported to the kidneys and excreted in the urine.

These biomarkers can then be easily detected using technology similar to that used in pregnancy tests. Scientists say they have been able to accurately identify colon tumors, as well as blood clots, in experiments on mice.

With this method, patients are first injected with particles, then urinate onto a paper test strip. However, to make testing more convenient, researchers are looking for a type of particle that can be implanted under the skin for long-term monitoring.

Sangeeta Bhatia, an MIT lecturer and lead author of the study, asserts that these trials are the first step toward a diagnostic method that could be useful for humans in the not-too-distant future.

Bhatia said that to prove the effectiveness of this method, researchers will test it on patients who have already been diagnosed with cancer.

First, this technology is likely to be applied to high-risk groups, such as those who have had cancer or have family members with the disease.

The Indian-born scientist expressed hope that this method would be used to detect cancer early in developing countries, where the incidence of the disease has increased sharply in recent years.

According to VNA