This new nano-chip can detect early signs of cancer

A new ultra-sensitive nano-chip that has been developed by an international team of researchers can detect cancer at early stages. The chip is said to be capable of using some of the latest advances in plasmonics, nano-fabrication, microfluids and surface chemistry in order to detect protein cancer markers in the blood. The research was led by the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Castelldefelsis, Spain. The device can detect very low concentrations of protein cancer markers in blood, facilitating early  diagnoses of the disease.This 'lab-on-a-chip' is extremely compact, just a few square centimeters in size and it hosts various sensing sites distributed across a network of fluidic micro-channels that enables it to conduct multiple analysis. The surface of the chip has gold nano-particles that are chemically programed with an antibody receptor in such a way that they are capable of specifically attracting the protein markers circulating in the blood. When a drop of blood is injected into the chip, it circulates through the micro-channels and if cancer markers are present in the blood, they will stick to the nano-particles located on the micro-channels as they pass by setting off changes which is known as the "plasmonic resonance".The device monitors these changes, the magnitude of which is directly related to the number of markers in the patient's blood thus providing a direct assessment of the risk for the patient to develop cancer. "The most fascinating finding is that we are capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of this protein in a matter of minutes, making this device an ultra-high sensitivity, state-of-the-art, powerful instrument that will benefit early detection and treatment monitoring of cancer," said Professor Romain Quidant from the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Castelldefels.Inputs from PTI