A new device may be able to diagnose glioblastoma a type of brain cancer aggressive and incurable, in less than 1 hour. The technology was developed by researchers at the University of Notre Dame, in the United States, and its results were presented in a study published in the scientific journal Communications Biology.
The device features a biochip that uses electrokinetic technology to detect biomarkers, or active epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in certain types of cancer, such as glioblastoma, and found in extracellular vesicles — nanoparticles secreted by almost every cell in the body.
“Extracellular vesicles, or exosomes, are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells. They are large—10 to 50 times larger than a molecule—and have a weak charge. Our technology was designed specifically for these nanoparticles, using their characteristics to our advantage,” says Hsueh-Chia Chang, Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Notre Dame and lead author of the paper. studyin a press release.
How does the test work?
The biochip developed by the researchers uses a small, inexpensive electrokinetic sensor, about the size of a ballpoint pen. The device is capable of distinguishing active from inactive EGFRs in extracellular vesicles, increasing the sensitivity and selectivity of the diagnosis.
The test can report the presence of active EGFRs in these extracellular vesicles, indicating the presence of glioblastoma in the patient.
“Our electrokinetic sensor allows us to do things that other diagnostics can’t,” said Satyajyoti Senapati, a research associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Notre Dame and a co-author of the study. “We can load blood directly without any pretreatment to isolate the extracellular vesicles because our sensor is not affected by other particles or molecules. It has low noise and makes ours more sensitive for disease detection than other technologies.”
According to the researchers, the test takes less than an hour to perform, requiring only 100 microliters of blood. It is also a low-cost alternative, as each biochip costs less than $2 in materials to manufacture. According to Chang, the team is exploring the technology to diagnose pancreatic cancer and potentially other disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, dementia and epilepsy.
“Our technique is not specific to glioblastoma, but it was particularly appropriate to start with it because of how deadly it is and the lack of early screening tests available,” Chang says. “Our hope is that if early detection is more feasible, then there is a greater chance of survival.”
This content was originally published in New test can detect brain cancer in up to 1 hour, says study on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil

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