0
0
Notre Dame, IN – Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have made a groundbreaking advance in cancer diagnostics with the development of a novel, automated device capable of diagnosing glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal brain cancer, in under an hour. This advancement comes at a crucial time, as glioblastoma patients typically face a survival period of only 12 to 18 months following diagnosis.
The innovative diagnostic tool utilizes a biochip incorporating electrokinetic technology to identify biomarkers associated with glioblastoma. Specifically, the biochip detects active Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are commonly overexpressed in certain cancers, including glioblastoma. These receptors are present in extracellular vesicles, small nanoparticles secreted by cells that play a role in various disease processes.
“Our technology leverages the unique characteristics of extracellular vesicles,” said Hsueh-Chia Chang, the Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Notre Dame and lead author of the study published in Communications Biology. “These vesicles are much larger than individual molecules and have distinct electrical properties, which our sensor is designed to exploit.”
The research team faced significant challenges in developing a process to differentiate between active and inactive EGFRs and in creating a sensor that is both highly sensitive and selective. To address these issues, they designed a biochip with an inexpensive, electrokinetic sensor roughly the size of a ballpoint pen ball. The sensor’s antibodies bind multiple times to each extracellular vesicle, greatly enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity of the test.
In the diagnostic process, synthetic silica nanoparticles are used to “report” the presence of active EGFRs on the extracellular vesicles by generating a detectable voltage shift. This approach minimizes the interference commonly encountered in other sensor technologies that rely on electrochemical reactions or fluorescence.
Satyajyoti Senapati, a research associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Notre Dame and co-author of the study, highlighted the advantages of their approach: “Our electrokinetic sensor allows direct loading of blood samples without pretreatment to isolate extracellular vesicles. This results in lower noise and higher sensitivity compared to other technologies.”
The device consists of three main components: an automation interface, a prototype portable machine for administering materials, and the biochip itself. Each test requires only 100 microliters of blood and is completed in less than an hour. The cost of each biochip is less than $2 in materials, making the technology both affordable and efficient.
Although initially developed for glioblastoma, the researchers believe the technology could be adapted for diagnosing other diseases. Chang mentioned that ongoing research is exploring its potential for detecting pancreatic cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and epilepsy.
“Our goal with this technology is to improve early detection and, consequently, survival rates for patients with glioblastoma,” Chang added. “The hope is that our method can be extended to other diseases, offering new diagnostic possibilities.”
Blood samples used for testing were provided by the Centre for Research in Brain Cancer at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. The study also involved contributions from former Notre Dame postdocs Nalin Maniya and Sonu Kumar, as well as researchers from Vanderbilt University and La Trobe University. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund.
