BLOOD CANCER DETECTION

In the fight against cancer, half of the battle is won based on its early detection. Nanotechnology provides new molecular contrast agents and materials to enable earlier and more accurate initial diagnosis as well as in continual monitoring of cancer patient treatment.
Although not yet deployed clinically for cancer detection or diagnosis, nanoparticles are already on the market in numerous medical screens and tests, with the most widespread use that of gold nanoparticles in home pregnancy tests. Nanoparticles are also at the heart of the Verigene® system from Nano sphere and the T2MR system from T2 Biosystems, currently used in hospitals for a variety of indications.
For cancer, nanodevices are being investigated for the capture of blood borne biomarkers, including cancer-associated proteins circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, and tumor-shed exosomes. Nano-enabled sensors are capable of high sensitivity, specificity and multiplexed measurements. Next generation devices couple capture with genetic analysis to further elucidate a patient’s cancer and potential treatments and disease course.
Already clinically established as contrast agents for anatomical structure, nanoparticles are being developed to act as molecular imaging agents, reporting on the presence of cancer-relevant genetic mutations or the functional characteristics of tumor cells. This information can be used to choose a treatment course or alter a therapeutic plan. Bioactivatable nanoparticles that change properties in response to factors or processes within the body act as dynamic reporters of in vivo states and can provide both spatial and temporal information on disease progression and therapeutic response.