One of the most feared diseases in the world is cancer. This deadly disease is predicted to occur in about 42% of all North Americans. The mechanism of cancer development starts with damage to a cell’s DNA causing it to grow and divide uncontrollably. Eventually, these cells drain other tissue of nutrients and change how our body functions, leading to serious illness and in most cases death. Despite all this, if cancer is detected early enough, a full recovery is possible. Traditionally, the problem with cancer has been that it is very hard to detect, and that when it is detected, it has already started to spread to other parts of body through the blood. However, researches at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a device that can grab cancer cells from the blood.
Image shows a lab technician analyzing a blood sample. Image courtesy of Flicr user: nita lind
Researchers are calling this new device the “NanoVelcro” chip. The way that this device works is that when blood is passed through the chip, small hairs coated with antibodies matching those of cancer cells trap cancer cells, allowing for them to be isolated and examined. The researchers reported that this new device was able to isolate single cancer cells in the blood. Dr. Tseng and his research team from UCLA believe that this device will help doctors analyze and determine the specific cancer a patient might have, the genetic characteristics of the person’s cancer, and the type of treatment that the patient should receive. Also, this new method of detecting cancer cells will help detect cancer much earlier, potentially saving millions of lives.
Oncologist providing radiation therapy to a cancer patient. Image provided by Flickr user: Tipstimes
With this new advancement, we will be better able to detect cancer cells in the blood and prevent them from spreading to other organs in the body, which has been a major problem in the treatment of cancer. Also, by taking blood samples throughout the treatment of a cancer patient, doctors will be able to more accurately determine drug resistance and change treatment accordingly.
Below is a short video explaining how cancer spreads through the body, and the major problems with early detection.
So, with new technology and advancements, it is becoming easier and easier to detect and treat cancer. This new device will help treat millions of people and save their lives. This is a major break through considering the fact that so many people either develop or are directly affected by this disease.
– Gagandeep Gill
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