A Chinese research team has developed a diagnostic kit based on blood analysis. It allows determining whether nodules in the lungs are benign or malignant. As stated by
China Daily, a TV BRICS partner.
In most cases, lung cancer is detected at a late stage, as the symptoms are initially mild or absent, which delays treatment. The scientists’ technology could significantly improve early diagnosis of the disease.
Low-dose computed tomography (CT) is widely used to screen high-risk individuals, such as smokers or patients with a family history of lung cancer. However, CT scans can only detect nodules and cannot determine whether they are malignant. In this case, repeat examinations are necessary. According to research, less than 30 per cent of patients are able to comply with long-term monitoring.
To solve the problem of identifying the type of neoplasm, scientists spent about 10 years studying tumour autoantibodies – signals from the immune system that can appear in the blood at a very early stage of cancer. They analysed blood samples, studied more than 400 proteins associated with early-stage lung cancer, and identified 13 biomarkers that are most useful for diagnosis. Eight of these combinations of biological markers are new and show better results than existing clinical standards in the country and abroad, the researchers noted.
The scientists also increased the shelf life of the kit to 12 months when stored in a refrigerator. The development was tested in hospitals. A total of 1,463 people participated in the trials. As a result, more than 65 per cent of early-stage lung cancer cases were detected. The accuracy was significantly higher than that of traditional diagnostic methods. In cases involving small nodules, which are often difficult to assess using CT alone, the test increased diagnostic accuracy to over 85 per cent.
In other BRICS countries, researchers have also made a number of scientific discoveries and presented developments in the field of medicine. For example, a Brazilian scientist has created a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system for dentistry, according to
Metrópoles, a partner of TV BRICS. The equipment, designed for examining the oral cavity, provides detailed images of tissues and enables earlier and more reliable diagnosis. The development is currently undergoing testing but could be put into use in Brazil as early as this year.
Researchers at the Bose Institute in Kolkata, India, have developed a modified CRISPR-Cas9 protein that glows during operation. The technology is used for targeted genome editing in the treatment of genetic diseases, including cancer, and to correct hereditary mutations. The information was reported by
IANS, a partner of TV BRICS.
In Russia, specialists at the North Caucasus Federal University have devised a method of enriching food products with the natural substance taxifolin, which will strengthen people’s immunity. This plant antioxidant has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties and helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce inflammatory processes in the body. Taxifolin loses its properties when exposed to gastric juice, so scientists decided to introduce it into serum proteins by spray drying, according to the university’s
website.
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