A test that costs less than a $1 and yields results in minutes has been shown in newly published studies to be more sensitive and more exact than the current standard test for early-stage prostate cancer.<\/p>\n
The simple test developed by University of Central Florida scientist Qun \u201cTreen\u201d Huo holds the promise of earlier detection of one of the deadliest cancers among men. It would also reduce the number of unnecessary and invasive biopsies stemming from the less precise PSA test that\u2019s now used.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic,\u201d said Dr. Inoel Rivera, a urologic oncologist at Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, which collaborated with Huo on the recent pilot studies. \u201cIt\u2019s a simple test. It\u2019s much better than the test we have right now, which is the PSA, and it\u2019s cost-effective.\u201d<\/p>\n
When a cancerous tumor begins to develop, the body mobilizes to produce antibodies. Huo\u2019s test detects that immune response using gold nanoparticles about 10,000 times smaller than a freckle.<\/p>\n
When a few drops of blood serum from a finger prick are mixed with the gold nanoparticles, certain cancer biomarkers cling to the surface of the tiny particles, increasing their size and causing them to clump together.<\/p>\n
Among researchers, gold nanoparticles are known for their extraordinary efficiency at absorbing and scattering light. Huo and her team at UCF\u2019s NanoScience Technology Center developed a technique known as nanoparticle-enabled dynamic light scattering assay (NanoDLSay) to measure the size of the particles by analyzing the light they throw off. That size reveals whether a patient has prostate cancer and how advanced it may be.<\/p>\n
And although it uses gold, the test is cheap. A small bottle of nanoparticles suspended in water costs about $250, and contains enough for about 2,500 tests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s different and unique about our technique is it\u2019s a very simple process, and the material required for the test is less than $1,\u201d Huo said. \u201cAnd because it\u2019s low-cost, we\u2019re hoping most people can have this test in their doctor\u2019s office. If we can catch this cancer in its early stages, the impact is going to be big.\u201d<\/p>\n
After lung cancer, prostate cancer is the second-leading killer cancer among men, with more than 240,000 new diagnoses and 28,000 deaths every year.\u00a0The most commonly used screening tool is the PSA, but it produces so many false-positive results \u2013 leading to painful biopsies and extreme treatments \u2013 that one of its discoverers recently called it \u201chardly more effective than a coin toss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pilot studies found Huo\u2019s technique is significantly more exact. The test determines with 90 to 95 percent confidence that the result is not false-positive. When it comes to false-negatives, there is 50 percent confidence \u2013 not ideal, but still significantly higher than the PSA\u2019s 20 percent \u2013 and Huo is working to improve that number.<\/p>\n
The results of the pilot studies were published recently in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. <\/em>Huo is also scheduled to present her findings in June at the TechConnect World Innovation Summit & Expo in suburban Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Huo\u2019s team is pursuing more extensive clinical validation studies with Florida Hospital and others, including the VA Medical Center Orlando. She hopes to complete major clinical trials and see the test being used by physicians in two to three years.<\/p>\n Huo also is researching her technique\u2019s effectiveness as a screening tool for other tumors.<\/p>\n \u201cPotentially, we could have a universal screening test for cancer,\u201d she said. \u201cOur vision is to develop an array of blood tests for early detection and diagnosis of all major cancer types, and these blood tests are all based on the same technique and same procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n Huo co-founded Nano Discovery Inc., a startup company headquartered in a UCF Business Incubator, to commercialize the new diagnostic test. The company manufacturers a test device specifically for medical research and diagnostic purposes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A test that costs less than a $1 and yields results in minutes has been shown in newly published studies to be more sensitive and more exact than the current standard test for early-stage prostate cancer. The simple test developed by University of Central Florida scientist Qun \u201cTreen\u201d Huo holds the promise of earlier detection of one of the deadliest…","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":65368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,12,23,24],"tags":[3279,7519],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-65365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-health","category-research","category-science-technology","tag-nanoscience-technology-center","tag-qun-treen-huo"],"yoast_head":"\n