Novel cancer diagnostics: blood test to detect all cancers at the same time within a few minutes

Can this revolutionize the fast test, the cancer diagnosis?

A new type of blood or tissue test can diagnose within just ten minutes cancer. As the basis of a newly-discovered structure of DNA, which seems to be the case with all types of cancer to occur. The Test detects quickly and easily, whether these structures are present in the blood or in the tissue. The cancer test has been recently presented by an Australian research team.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have developed a new method for the diagnosis of cancer. What is special is that it is a quick test that starts on all of the cancer disease. The Team led by Dr. Abu Sina, Dr. Laura Carrascosa, and Professor Matt Trau discovered a unique nano-structure in the DNA that seem to be all cancer types to share. The presence of this structure indicates a disease. The results of the research were recently published in the renowned scientific journal “Nature Communications”.

Breakthrough in cancer diagnosis

So far, the diagnosis of cancer is a complicated matter, because each type of cancer has its own signature. Thus, most of the cancer forms require a special method of diagnosis. This complicates the early detection of tumor diseases, which, however, is for the healing process is immensely important. Now Researchers have found a simple signature that differs from that of healthy cells and for all types of cancer is common.

A structure that all cancer forms unites

“This unique DNA signature occurred in each type of cancer, we studied – including breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and lymph node cancer,“ reported Dr. Abu Sina in a press release of the study results. The tiny methyl groups were crucial to hanging on to the DNA. According to Sina, these groups will change drastically by the presence of a cancer.

How cancer makes in the genome visible

“In healthy cells, these methyl groups is distributed over the genome,” explains Dr. Carrascosa. In the Genomes of cancer cells and an intense accumulation of methyl groups in very specific Places to show it. The research group has now developed a tool for cancer diagnostics, with the help of these patterns can be changes in the methyl groups within minutes reveal.

Like Gold to the cancer diagnosis contributes

Professor Trau explains how the Test works: the groups of the methyl groups, which point to cancer, there is a unique three-dimensional folding in nano-structure. This structure is easily on certain surfaces. According to the Trust of Gold has a perfect surface, the specific structures of adhesion is preferred. “We have developed a simple Test using Gold nanoparticles that change immediately to the color, to determine whether 3D-nano-structures of cancer-DNA sind“, summarizes Professor Trau the results of the research.

Cancer cells release their DNA in the blood free

The research group explains that cancer cells release their DNA in the blood plasma is free, if you die. The blood test with the gold particles captures this cancer-DNA. To discover “that the cancerous DNA molecules formed completely different 3D nanostructures as a normal circulating DNA, was a breakthrough that allows a completely new approach to the diagnosis of cancer in any tissue type, including the blood,” says the Professor.

A convenient, mobile and accurate

“This led to the development of a cost-efficient and mobile detection device may be used as a diagnostic tool for cancer,” says Trau. Potentially the device could be controlled even via a Smartphone. So far, a 90 per cent accuracy in diagnosis was demonstrated in Tests on 200 human cancer samples.

The Holy Grail of cancer diagnostics?

“We don’t know yet whether it is the Holy Grail for all cancer diagnostics,” says the Professor. But the discovery offers a simple and universal cancer marker that is on a cost-effective technology, which is not even complicated laboratory need devices to detect. Currently, the University of Queensland is seeking a suitable Partner with whom you are developing the blood test and on the market. (vb)