Scientists Develop Fast, Affordable Cancer Test From a Single Drop of Blood
The method employs ultrathin membranes to capture small packets of cellular material known as extracellular vesicles.
Cells release billions of tiny packets of cellular material known as extracellular vesicles (EVs) into blood, saliva, and other bodily fluids. These EVs carry crucial information, including proteins and genetic material from their cell of origin, offering insights into the body’s current state. Scientists see great potential in EVs for diagnostics and therapies, yet face challenges in developing methods that are both quick and cost-effective.
In a study published in Small, researchers at the University of Rochester outline a new method for using ultrathin membranes to easily identify EVs for rapid liquid biopsies. The method, called catch and display for liquid biopsy (CAD-LB), holds promise for diagnosing cancer quickly and affordably, and assessing the progress of therapies used to treat diseases.
Simplifying Liquid Biopsies
“By searching samples of blood or other bodily fluids for these extracellular vesicles and the biomarkers they carry, you can find important clues that something is amiss in the body,” says James McGrath, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Biomedical Engineering and leader of the study. “The idea has been around for a while, but previously it required many purification steps to isolate the EVs away from other components of the biofluid. CAD-LB is much simpler and faster, which gives it the potential for clinical use that more complex methods lack.”
The team developed ultrathin membranes with pores sized perfectly to catch EVs. Once a sample of blood is taken, it is quickly processed, injected with a pipette onto a membrane, and directly analyzed under a microscope. By counting the number of pores that glow with the biomarker for the disease being assessed, users can get a quick estimation of how prevalent the disease is within the body.