Dr Richard Lobb and Quan Zhou from UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology said the diagnostic device could help patients begin treatment and get ahead of the disease before it spreads.
“Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in Australia, claiming the lives of almost 9000 people each year,” Dr Lobb said.
“Despite its prevalence, the initial detection and screening process for the disease can be drawn out and expensive, involving scans, imaging tests and biopsy procedures.
“The technology we’ve developed is non-invasive and can detect very small lung cancer nodules to hopefully catch the disease in the first stage.”
The nanodevice analyses the patient’s blood sample, looking for a particular biomarker – the sugars that coat the tiny messenger particles known as extracellular vesicles (EVs).
“These sugar molecules, or glycans, serve as excellent biomarkers because the sugar code on a cancer cell is different to a normal cell,” Dr Lobb said.
“A drop of blood can be all that’s needed to alert clinicians to the presence of small lung cancer nodules and allow intervention while the disease is in its early stages,” Dr Lobb said.
A clinical study involving 40 patients found the technology successfully differentiated patients with early-stage malignant lung nodules from those with benign lung nodules.
The results show the potential to use EV glycans to diagnose other diseases non-invasively. This device, and a simple blood test, could help clinicians step in before more intensive scanning or treatments or drug regimes are needed.”
Quan Zhou, UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
The nanodevice was designed in the lab of ARC Laureate and AIBN senior group leader Professor Matt Trau, with AIBN scholars Xueming Niu, Dr Alain Wuethrich and Dr Zhen Zhang contributing to the research.
The research paper was published in Advanced Science.
Zhou, Q., et al. (2024). Glycan Profiling in Small Extracellular Vesicles with a SERS Microfluidic Biosensor Identifies Early Malignant Development in Lung Cancer. Advanced Science. doi.org/10.1002/advs.202401818.
![](https://www.nanoappsmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/spacer.jpg)
News
Ethics in Nanomedicine: Key Issues and Principles
Nanomedicine, a branch of nanotechnology, is revolutionizing healthcare by enabling the manipulation of materials at the nanoscale to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases. Unlike traditional treatments, nanoparticles (NPs) are highly precise in targeting diseased [...]
A call for robust H5N1 influenza preparedness and response
As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and support a [...]
Mucosal COVID-19 boosters outperform mRNA shots in preventing upper airway infections
In a recent study published in Nature Immunology, a team of researchers from the United States used non-human primate models to compare the protection conferred by an intramuscular booster dose of the bivalent messenger ribonucleic acid [...]
How Space Travel Really Changes Astronauts – From the Inside Out
International team reveals previously unknown effects on physiology that could shape the future of long-duration space missions. Researchers have discovered significant changes in the gut microbiome due to spaceflight, which affects host physiology and [...]
Breakthrough in blood stem cell development offers hope for leukemia and bone marrow failure
Melbourne researchers have made a world first breakthrough into creating blood stem cells that closely resemble those in the human body. And the discovery could soon lead to personalized treatments for children with leukemia [...]
Scientists Develop Game-Changing Needle-Free COVID-19 Intranasal Vaccine
A new mucosal COVID-19 vaccine poised to revolutionize the delivery process is especially beneficial for those with a fear of needles. A next-generation COVID-19 mucosal vaccine is set to be a game-changer not only when delivering [...]
Scientists Develop All-in-One Solution To Catch and Destroy “Forever Chemicals”
A new water treatment system developed by UBC researchers efficiently removes and destroys PFAS pollutants using a dual-action catalyst, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for water purification challenges. Chemical engineers at the University of [...]
New method accelerates drug discovery from years to months
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital have found a new method to increase both speed and success rates in drug discovery. The study, published Aug. 30 in [...]
A new smart mask analyzes your breath to monitor your health
Your breath can give away a lot about you. Each exhalation contains all sorts of compounds, including possible biomarkers for disease or lung conditions, that could give doctors a valuable insight into your health. [...]
Study reveals the role of blood clotting in COVID-19
In a study that reshapes what we know about COVID-19 and its most perplexing symptoms, scientists have discovered that the blood coagulation protein fibrin causes the unusual clotting and inflammation that have become hallmarks [...]
A Novel Cancer Vaccine Combining Nano-11 and ADU-S100
In a recent article published in npj Vaccines, researchers detailed the development of a novel cancer vaccine that combines a plant-derived nanoparticle adjuvant, Nano-11, with a clinically tested STING agonist, ADU-S100. The primary objective was [...]
AI spots cancer and viral infections with nanoscale precision
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence which can differentiate cancer cells from normal cells, as well as detect the very early stages of viral infection inside cells. The findings, published today in a study [...]
Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says
Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. A preprint is a study which has not yet [...]
Scientists Have Discovered Strange DNA in Our Brains – and It Could Be Shortening Our Lives
According to the research, these mitochondrial DNA insertions could be linked to early death. Mitochondria in brain cells frequently insert their DNA into the nucleus, potentially impacting lifespan, as those with more insertions were found to [...]
Watch Out After a Hospital Stay: You Could Be Exposing Your Family to Superbugs
Research indicates hospitals contribute to the local spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. A recent study published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America suggests that family members of [...]
Molecular Trickery: How COVID-19 Silently Sabotages the Human Immune System
Researchers have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 manipulates the human immune system by forcing cells to produce non-functional proteins, hindering the body’s antiviral defenses. This groundbreaking study by teams from prestigious Brazilian universities highlights potential targets for new COVID-19 treatments, [...]