For more than a decade, scientists from the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU) have been working on the investigation of indicators present in the blood, technically called biomarkers, which can bring new answers about breast cancer.
The main objective of the research is to be able to identify disease still in its initial phase. Early diagnosis helps to prevent metastasis, which is the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body.
A method developed by the UFU researchers, called liquid biopsy, allows the diagnosis to be made in a less invasive way than in other tests.
In technology, blood is collected and passes through a centrifuge that separates its parts. In a second moment, the blood parts are observed in a device called a flow cytometer, which makes it possible to identify the presence or absence of malignant or benign tumor cells.
The results of the method were published in the scientific journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences. In all, 110 women contributed to the development of the study.
Innovation in breast cancer diagnosis
O breast cancer it is the main type of cancer to affect women, with an estimate of more than 66 thousand new cases each year in Brazil, according to the National Cancer Institute (Inca).
Mammography is one of the main tests for identifying this type of cancer. O Ministry of Health recommends performing the test as a screening method for breast cancer, that is, a routine test for women without signs and symptoms in the age group of 50 to 69 years, every two years.
“Breast ultrasound is an imaging test that allows you to detect lesions present in the breasts, especially in younger and denser breasts. With the exam it is possible to visualize nodules, cysts, secretions in the nipples, thickening of the breast tissue and other changes. This exam is recommended especially for young and pregnant women, and as a complementary exam to mammography”, says nurse Lara de Andrade Marques, who participated in the study.
Biomedical Alinne Tatiane Faria Silva explains that tumor cells separate from the tumor and go into the bloodstream, even at the beginning of the disease, but that there is still no consensus on how to identify these cells.
“Thus, the biotechnological platform is a new method that uses techniques, already widely used in several researches in the health area, with a focus on the discovery of tumor cell markers, with the objective of improving the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. , which will make it possible to reduce the mortality and morbidity of women affected by this disease”, he says.
According to the specialist, the advantage of this new type of biopsy is that it is performed by collecting blood, “making it much faster and less invasive than the procedures currently performed for diagnosis. In addition, it makes it possible to follow the treatment in real time”, she explains.
How the tests were performed
After collecting the women’s blood, the material was centrifuged, a process that separates its parts. Then, the researchers added reagents that labeled the proteins in the tumor cells and these cells were counted and identified in a device called a flow cytometer.
“In this way, it is possible to identify the presence or absence of tumor cells through a specific set of proteins, which we call a panel of markers. With this method, we were able to correctly classify, above 80%, women who had no changes in the breast, women diagnosed with benign breast disease and women diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition, we were able to classify those who underwent treatment and those who had not yet received treatment”, says Professor Yara Cristina de Paiva Maia, coordinator of the Research Group in Molecular Biology and Nutrition (Bionut).
The study was developed at the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory Prof. Luiz Ricardo Goulart Filho from UFU and the tests were performed on patients from the Mastology outpatient clinic of the Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Uberlândia (HC-UFU). The method had the patent deposited in 2020 with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI).
“Today we have a method for diagnosing and monitoring the treatment of patients with breast cancer, based on the presence or absence of proteins found in our studies, which are still in the validation phase. We have national and international partnerships,” says Yara.
Next steps
The researchers say that circulating tumor biomarkers, which are referred to as “liquid biopsy”, have great relevance in early, non-invasive cancer screening. According to them, the research can make it possible to detect breast cancer in early stages and without causing pain to patients.
“We want the test to reach the population as soon as possible. However, there is a way to go for this to happen. Currently, we have a partnership with a company and we are in the data validation phase, with confirmation of the results in a greater number of patients. Next, we will request authorization from regulatory agencies to include the methodology in clinical practice and be able, in the future, to be distributed in the Unified Health System (SUS)”, says Yara.
Research is ongoing, and at this time students are investigating other biomarkers in the bloodstream. “At our Hospital de Clínicas, when a woman is indicated for biopsy for suspected breast cancer, she can be included in our research. So, if she agrees to participate, she will be accompanied throughout the treatment at key moments, such as before and after surgeries”, he concludes.
Source: CNN Brasil
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