Scientists have developed a world-first urine test to indicate the possible signs of lung cancer. This urine test has been developed by Cambridge scientists and is said to be first of its kind. It is capable of detecting zombie cells to indicate the first signs of lung cancer.
This test looks for zoombie cell proteins that could indicate a patient having Early stage lung cancer. It has been successfully tested on mice and scientists are hoping to start in humans soon. These cells are called as zoombie cells as they are alive in the body but are unable to grow and divide. Such cells cause tissue damage by reprogramming their immediate environment. Now, scientists have developed an injectable sensor that interacts with zombie cell proteins and releases an easily detectable compound into urine. This can signal its presence.
The researchers hope that early detection through simple Urine test could enable earlier treatment interventions and thus, can significantly improve patient outcomes. Scientists have developed an injectable sensor to interact with zombie cell proteins and releases easily detectable compound with urine.
“Lung cancer has a poor prognosis for many patients because often there are no noticeable symptoms until it has spread through the lungs or into other parts of the body. The new urine test will allow doctors to spot the disease before it develops,” says a statement on the University of Cambridge website.
Professor Ljiljana Fruk and Dr Daniel Munoz Espin and their teams at the University of Cambridge are leading on the research, funded by Cancer Research UK. “Early detection of cancer requires cost-effective tools and strategies that enable detection to happen quickly and accurately,” said Fruk. “We designed a test based on peptide-cleaving proteins, which are found at higher levels in the presence of zombie cells, and in turn appear in the early stages of cancer.
“Ultimately, we want to develop a urine test that could help doctors identify signs of the early stages of cancer – potentially months or even years before noticeable symptoms appear,” he added.
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only.
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