Paper-Based Cancer Test

Mar-02-14 A new low-cost, paper-based method of disease detection could lead to earlier diagnoses and treatments, and could be particularly beneficial to people living in undeveloped, rural areas.

The test, created by a team of engineers at MIT, could detect cancer from a urine sample within minutes, as well as a host of other diseases. The method works in conjunction with nanoparticles coated with peptides that trigger tumor proteins to release biomarkers, which can be easily detected in the patient’s urine. Previously, the biomarkers were detected using a mass spectrometer, a specialized and expensive piece of equipment.

However, the MIT team was able to adapt the test to be paper-based, without the need for specialized equipment. They did so by coating paper strips with antibodies to catch the peptides, which then move along the strip over serveral invisible test lines. The lines, made of antibodies specific to the different tags attached to the peptides, will become visible if the sample contains the target peptide.

More Info about this Invention:

[MEDGADGET.COM]
[MIT]

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