Paper Diagnostic for Cancer

It’s not surprising that most of cancer mortality occurs in the developing world; that’s where human populations are greatest.  No doubt millions die without ever being diagnosed, much less treated.  But to meet the first need, MIT’s Laboratory for Multiscale Regenerative Technologies has developed a paper strip similar to those used for pregnancy testing.  It is made of nitrocellulose paper with embedded antibodies that capture tumor peptides in urine. Nanoparticles, which when injected, interact with tumor matrix metalloproteins, causing them to degenerate to their peptide components.  When these biomarkers pass into urine, they can be retrieved through the action of the antibodies on the test strip. Such a diagnostic need not be expensive and could be distributed throughout the world. MORE

Image Credit: Bryce Vickmark and SmartPlanet.com