Engineers Create New Detection Device For Cancer, HIV Cells

A new device which can detect single cancer cells within a blood sample was recently developed by a Harvard biomedical engineer and MIT aeronautical engineer. This advancement could lead to vast improvements in the detection of cancer metastasis as well as the detection of other diseases such as HIV. The microfluidic device is roughly the size of a dime and could be developed into low-cost tests which doctors could use for testing in countries without the financial resources for expensive diagnostic instruments.

The detection system consists of tens of thousands of porous, carbon nanotubes studded onto the device surface. Each nanotube post is coated with antibodies specific to cancer cells which cause these cells to stick to the post while allowing non-cancerous cells to pass through. Metastasis can be recognized by passing the patient's blood through the device. Ninety percent of deaths from cancer are not due to cancer at the original site, so detecting metastasis more easily could be a big step in fighting off this disease.

The device can be customized for other diseases in numerous ways. By selecting different antibodies, the device can target specific diseases such as HIV. The distance between nanotubes can also be increased or decreased, allowing bigger or smaller particles to pass through the device more easily. In this way, the device can be manipulated to trap particles which range from the size of tumor cells all the way down to viruses. This technology is therefore not just a leap for cancer research, but for medical research as a whole.

This article is interesting to me because I hope to work with and develop devices which utilize nanoscale technology. I think that the most promising future of medical devices lies in these technologies. Besides this detection device, numerous other nano-devices are being developed which may lead to longer lives, better disease control, and improved quality of life. I hope to be a part of this research as soon as possible.

Link: Catching cancer with carbon nanotubes