Scientists are testing the prototype of a device, cheaper and faster than existing ones, which can detect colorectal and prostate cancer in just one hour.
The new test could fulfill several functions. Photo by Shutterstock
A team of researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has developed a new cancer testing device that they say will be affordable in addition to providing results quickly, within an hour. Scientists believe that it would be very useful in developing countries, which face higher cancer mortality rates, partly due to barriers to medical diagnosis, informs News.ro.
According to Xiu Jun Li, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UTEP and one of the authors of this study, the new test will cost only a few dollars and is portable, being “accessible to anyone, rich or poor”. An additional asset is the fact that the device “eliminates the need for specialized tools”.
The most commonly used test at the moment for the detection of cancer, known as ELISA, requires certain specialized and expensive instruments and, in addition, for the accuracy of the results it takes at least 12 hours for a sample.
The fact that the new test can indicate the presence or absence of tumor markers within an hour makes it highly appreciated by specialist doctors, who say that the results of cancer treatments vary greatly, depending on how quickly the disease is identified.
“If we can detect biomarkers in time, before the disease (cancer) spreads, we increase the patients’ chances of survival. Any delay in testing, especially in regions that do not have access to expensive tools and instruments, can be very bad for a patient’s prognosis“, he added. said Prof. Xiu Jun Li.
Also, the device is microfluidic, meaning it can perform multiple functions using very small amounts of fluids.
It uses an innovative “paper in a polymer basin” structure, in which the patient’s blood samples are placed in small special vessels and on a special type of paper. The paper captures cancer protein biomarkers from blood samples in just minutes. Afterwards, the paper changes color, and the intensity of the color indicates what type of cancer is detected and how much it has progressed, explained the team that worked on developing the test.
Although the research was conducted for prostate and colorectal cancer, the authors believe that, in time, the test could be adapted for more types of cancer.
However, before this new test can be brought to the market, the prototype will have to be completed and tested on patients in a clinical trial, which could take several years, and then it must be authorized by the regulatory authorities in the field of health, explained researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso.
