According to the National Cancer Institute, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Now, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has announced that a National Science Foundation Partnership for Innovation Grant has funded groundbreaking research that aims to improve colonoscopies by offering a more effortless and safer cancer detection.
Ruma Paul, a UTEP doctoral student, has developed a portable device that uses blood samples to detect colorectal cancers.
The device, which is not yet clinically available, aims to improve on other cancer screening methods, which can be unreliable and result in false positives.
Scientists at the University of Texas at El Paso are developing a portable device using blood samples to detect colorectal cancers.
Their device is described in a study published in the ACS Measurement Science Au journal.
Study co-author Ruma Paul, a doctoral student in chemistry, told UTEP that the earlier the detection, the greater the hope for saving lives.
Blood-based tests are much easier on patients and can precisely detect the early signs of colorectal cancer. The research could one day make early detection more straightforward.
The device detects a colon cancer-secreted protein known as CCSP-2. Paul said the protein’s presence in colon cancer cells is 78 times higher than in normal colon cells, making its occurrence in the body a strong indicator of cancer.
The team said CCSP-2 is also detectable in blood, making it an excellent biomarker; biomarkers are measurable biological “signals” indicating certain diseases’ presence.
Carlos Cabrera, Ph.D. the study’s corresponding author and a UTEP professor of chemistry and biochemistry, said Ruma’s doctoral research opens the possibility of developing a simple point-of-care portable device for colorectal cancer detection.
Paul designed the device, known as an electrochemical immune sensor, to detect CCSP-2. She explained that this kind of device can be miniaturized and mass-produced, allowing it to be used at home or in a doctor’s office.
She added that before being available to patients, the device would have to be patented and undergo clinical trials, which can take many years to complete.
Sourav Roy, Ph. D., is an associate professor of biological sciences at UTEP and an additional study co-author. He explained that the study is the first in a series of research projects to test different biomarkers’ suitability for the portable device.
Roy and his team are working to identify new overexpressed proteins in colon cancer tissues at various stages that can be used as biomarkers and tested on the device.
UTEP doctoral student Ruma Paul has developed a portable device that uses blood samples to detect colorectal cancers. The device, which is not yet clinically available, aims to improve colonoscopies by offering an easier and safer cancer detection method.
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