Every second counts: New blood test detects deadly brain cancer in an hour

A new, affordable blood test device has been developed for early diagnosis of a deadly brain cancer: glioblastoma.

The researchers at the University of Notre Dame have created this test that can detect indications of glioblastoma within one hour. The device is easy to use and requires only a small blood sample (about 100 microliters of blood).

“Our technique is not specific to glioblastoma, but it was particularly appropriate to start with it because of how deadly it is and the lack of early screening tests available. Our hope is that if early detection is more feasible, then there is an increased chance of survival,” said Hsueh-Chia Chang, the Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Notre Dame and lead author of the study

Cancer biomarkers

Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive and malignant form of brain cancer, and the majority of patients diagnosed with it live only 12 to 18 months after detection. Typically, invasive biopsy is the definitive way to diagnose glioblastoma. It involves taking a tissue sample from the tumor for examination under a microscope.

The new blood test could be a valuable tool for identifying brain cancer at an early stage when symptoms first arise.

Basically, this blood test is done through an automated device.

The key to this technology lies in a tiny biochip that uses an electrokinetic sensor — roughly the “size of a ball in a ballpoint pen.”

This technique uses electricity to move charged particles in a fluid, enabling various applications such as treating contaminated soil.

In the glioblastoma diagnostic device, the electrokinetic sensor is used to capture and detect extracellular vesicles, which contain biomarkers associated with the disease.

These protein-based biomarkers are known as Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in glioblastoma.

“Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells. They are big — 10 to 50 times bigger than a molecule — and they have a weak charge. Our technology was specifically designed for these nanoparticles, using their features to our advantage,” explained Chang.

Highly sensitive biochip

This biochip is said to be incredibly sensitive and selective, enabling it to differentiate between active and non-active EGFRs.

The press release explained that the antibodies on the sensor can bind to multiple extracellular vesicles, increasing the accuracy of detection. After this, the silica nanoparticles act as reporters, indicating the presence of active EGFRs on the captured vesicles. Particularly, a change in voltage signals the presence of glioblastoma, linked to the presence of extracellular vesicles with active EGFRs.

“Our electrokinetic sensor allows us to do things other diagnostics cannot,” said Satyajyoti Senapati, co-author of the study.

“We can directly load blood without any pretreatment to isolate the extracellular vesicles because our sensor is not affected by other particles or molecules. It shows low noise and makes ours more sensitive for disease detection than other technologies,” Senapati added.

If this device is widely adopted, it could pave the way for early detection, and patients may have a better chance of survival.

In the future, the team hopes this technology could be used to detect biomarkers of other diseases such as pancreatic cancer , cardiovascular disease, dementia, and epilepsy.

The findings were published in the journal Communications Biology.