Statistics say, one in 20 people in United States develop colorectal cancer. Though, out of the ones diagnosed, 90 per cent of people survive for at least five years, however, only 40 per cent are diagnosed early, partly because of few people being tested. According to a report by MIT Technology Review, Sangeeta Bhatia, a professor at MIT is working on a much economical way of early diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
Bhatia has been working to create a synthetic molecule, that can be introduced into the body, interact with the cancer, and then be easily detected. She hitherto developed nanoparticles that find their way to tumors, which eventually broken into smaller particles and concentrated by the kidneys, to later pass in the urine.
The first iteration of the technique needed an elaborate laboratory test to examine the urine. However, Bhatia has now developed a paper test, like the one for pregnancy.
In this paper, which is yet to be published, Bhatia has developed a way to deliver the nanoparticles by modifying a type of bacteria found in yogurt. The bacteria produces a nanoparticle bio-marker by interacting with the tumor.
This new test requires no special instrument, and should be a great method to diagnose colorectal cancer among people in poor countries.
