Category: Cancer

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Cancer Sensors

Nanosensor cancer detection

Priscila Kosaka from the Microelectronic Institute of Madrid is in the early stages of developing a nanosensor to detect cancer from blood samples before symptoms appear.  It is not expected to be on the market for another 10 years, but could one day  eliminate the need for biopsies.

Kosaka claims that the technology is 10 million times more effective than traditional blood sampling, and may miss only 2 out of 10,000 samples.  Improvements are needed so that the nanosensor can identify the type of cancer cells present.

The process causes the cancerous cells to change color, indicating the presence of a malignant tumor.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences.  Register before 4/24 and save 30%.

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Cancer Sensors

Sensor models improve physician breast exams

University of Wisconsin‘s Carla Pugh has developed a sensor based breast model to help train physicians to detect tumors.  The device indicates when a physician is palpating (pressing) with enough force to detect a lump in the breast. The amount of pressure is displayed as colors on a breast map displayed on a monitor. Blue indicates low pressure and red indicates the highest pressure.

In a study,  53 doctors  performed Clinical Breast Exams on  4 sensor enabled breast models, each with a mass of different density located in different areas of the breast. The masses represent potential tumors. Two of the models contained masses near the surface of the breast, and two contained masses at the back of the breast against the chest wall.

Data was collected using video and sensor recordings of the amount of pressure applied by those who  found the mass and those who did not.  Analysis of the  data showed that 15% of the physicians tested were using a technique that did not detect the deep tissue lesions near the chest wall  in two of the four breast models.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences.  Early registration rate available until 4/24.

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Cancer Parkinson's Wearables

Google files patent for cancer targeting wearable

Following its patent application for a pill that “paints” cancer cells for scanner detection, Google has filed a new patent for a wearable to detect and destroy the painted cells.  It describes a Calico developed device that “can automatically modify or destroy one or more targets in the blood that have an adverse health effect”.  These could include proteins, enzymes, cells, hormones, or other molecules that may affect health when present in blood.

The wearable  can modify or destroy the cells by transmitting energy into blood vessels. This could be by radio frequency pulse, time-varying magnetic field, acoustic pulse, or infrared or visible light signal.  The energy provokes a physical or chemical change in the targets to fight illnesses, including cancer.

Google believes that the device could also help Parkinson’s patients, as certain proteins have been noted as a partial cause of the disease. If the wearable could destroy these proteins, disease progression might be slowed.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences.  Early registration rate available until March 27th.

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Asthma Cancer Data Diabetes Heart Parkinson's

ResearchKit can simplify, improve diagnostics

As a company devoted to improving the human condition through health innovation, ApplySci was delighted to hear yesterday’s ResearchKit announcement.  The framework allows people to easily join health studies, and simplifies the process by bringing research to one’s phone.

ResearchKit’s first tests detect Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and breast cancer.  Apple worked with 12 institutions to create the app, including some which will participate in ApplySci’s Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 conference.

Apple’s (admirable) goal is to more easily recruit research subjects, and improve accuracy by increasing sample size and diversity.  Data is captured and recorded using iPhone sensors.  Examples include:

  • An iPhone’s microphone can detect tiny voice  fluctuations that may indicate Parkinson’s disease.
  • An iPhone’s screen can detect tapping inconsistencies associated with disease.
  • An iPhone accelerometer can compare one’s gait and balance against a healthy person’s speed and posture.

Users control their own data, and decide if, how, and when to share it.   Apple will not have access to it.  The company hopes that external developers will soon dramatically increase the number of tests available.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences .  Early registration rate available until March 27th.

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Cancer

Nanoparticle device disrupts cancer genes

MIT researchers have developed a gold nanoparticle device embedded in a hydrogel that can be injected or implanted at a tumor site to disrupt cancer genes.

The nanodevice blocks the gene that confers drug resistance, then launches a new chemotherapy attack against the vulnerable tumor.

Nuria Oliva, Natalie Artzi, and Joao Conde tested the device in mice implanted with a  triple negative breast tumor.  It blocked the gene for multidrug resistant protein 1 and then delivered the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil.  The tumors shrunk by 90 percent in two weeks.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences

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Cancer

Graphene neutralizes cancer stem cells, leaves healthy cells unharmed

University of Manchester‘s Michael Lisanti, Aravind Vijayaraghavan  and Federica Sotgia have shown that graphene oxide acts as an anti-cancer agent that selectively targets cancer stem cells.  The researchers believe that this could lead to tumor shrinkage and preventing the spread and recurrence of cancer when combined with existing treatments.

The team tested a variety of graphene oxide formulations against breast, pancreatic, lung, brain, ovarian and prostate cancer. The flakes inhibited tumor sphere formation in all six types.  This suggests that graphene oxide can be effective across a large number of different cancers,  blocking processes which take place at the surface of the cells.

According to Sotgia: “These findings show that graphene oxide could possibly be applied as a lavage or rinse during surgery to clear CSCs or as a drug targeted at CSCs.  Our results also show that graphene oxide is not toxic to healthy cells, which suggests that this treatment is likely to have fewer side effects if used as an anti cancer therapy.”

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences

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Cancer Sensors Wearables

Patch detects breast cancer temperature patterns

Cyrcadia Health‘s iTBra contains patches that detect circadian temperature changes within breast cells.  The data is sent to a lab via smartphone, and analyzed with Nanyang Technical University developed algorithms.   Abnormal temperature and cellular signaling patterns are immediately sent to one’s doctor.

The technology detects normal circadian cellular baselines, as well as abnormal patterns associated with cancer.  The company claims that the device’s accuracy is similar to that of mammography, and particularly benefits those with dense breast tissue.

A clinical trial will soon begin, studying women wearing the device for different lengths of time.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences

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Cancer Conference Sensors

DNA sensor detects cervical, bladder, kidney cancer

University of Twente MESA+ professor Wilfred van der Wiel is developing an electrode to detect cervical, bladder and kidney cancer in DNA.

NanoGap is a 100 nanometer wide gap in a metal electrode with receptors that provide notifications when urine DNA is degraded.  Hypermethylated DNA is bound to the receptors.  By covering the DNA with metal particles, a live wire on a nanoscale is created, resulting in a short circuit and detectable signal.

According to van der Wiel, “In the current situation we only detect cancer at an advanced stage, when the patient already has symptoms, for example associated with a tumor.  In this study we look for DNA where something has changed, i.e. DNA that is covered by the body with methyl groups. In many cancers excessive methylation of the DNA occurs; this is referred to as hypermethylation. Although medical science does not yet know whether hypermethylation always signifies cancer and in what form, a clear link has been shown.”

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences

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Cancer Sensors

Breath test to detect early stage lung cancer

University of Leicester and Owlstone Nanotech are developing a breath test to detect early stage lung cancer.  Clinical trials for the device will begin soon.  Last year ApplySci described a Cleveland Clinic developed sensor with a similar purpose.  The study is being led by Leicester’s Dr Salman Siddiqui.

LuCID (Lung Cancer Indicator Detection), based on Owlstone’s GC-FAIMS (Gas Chromatography – Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry) works by measuring volatile organic compounds  at low concentrations in breath.

Siddiqui’s goals are to  “identify and evaluate biomarkers to improve the accuracy and reliability of breath diagnostic methods” and to  “establish FAIMS as a faster, less expensive and more portable alternative to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for breath diagnosis applications.”

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences

 

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Cancer Robotics

Tiny robotic gripper for cancer diagnostics, remote surgery

Johns Hopkins professor David Gracias has created a tiny, flexible, microscopic, robotic,  hand-like hydrogel gripper that could help doctors perform remotely guided surgical procedures and biopsies.    He believes that the materials could also, in the future,  deliver therapeutic drugs to difficult to reach places.

The hydrogel can swell in response to changes in temperature, acidity or light, providing energy without being tethered to a power source.  A stiff biodegradable polymer makes the  microhands strong enough to wrap around and remove cells.  Magnetic nanoparticles guide the microhands with a magnetic probe.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences

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Cancer Sensors Signal Processing

Smartphone sensor detects cancer in breath

Professor Hossam Haick at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has developed a sensor equipped smartphone that screens a user’s breath for early cancer detection.

SNIFFPHONE uses micro and nano sensors that read exhaled breath.  The information is transferred through the phone to a signal processing system for analysis.  According to Haick, the NaNose system can detect benign and malignant tumors more quickly, efficiently and cheaply than previously possible, replacing clinical follow up that would lead to the same intervention.  He claims that NaNose has  a 90 percent accuracy rate.

This is one of several biomedical sensor breakthroughs that Professor Haick is working on.  In July 2013, ApplySci described his flexible sensor that could be integrated into electronic skin, enabling those with prosthetic limbs to feel changes in their environments.  This is similar to Roozbeh Ghaffari’s work at MC10, which we described last month and will be included in our June 30th conference, Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015.

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Cancer Nanoparticles Wearables

Nanoparticles + wearable to detect cancer cells

ApplySci first described Google X’s cancer detecting nanoparticle project last October.  The company has now released more detail:

1.  A user wears a bracelet designed by Google.

2.  He/she must take nanoparticle pills that look for cancer cells throughout the body.

3.  If found, the nanoparticles bind to the cancer cells, and they light up.

4.  The bracelet’s magnet attracts the cell-particle combinations.

Google has created synthetic skin, of varying thickness and tones, to test the system, as described in a recent interview with The Atlantic.

Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC 2015 – June 30 @ New York Academy of Sciences