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A revolutionary nanoparticle-based cancer cell diagnosis technology has been developed
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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Scientists from the USA (University of California - Santa Barbara) have presented a revolutionary technology that makes it possible to distinguish prostate cancer cells from healthy cells.
Despite the fact that several years will pass before this technology is used in practical medicine, the authors speak with confidence about its effectiveness and use in the development of microdevices for determining prostate cancer metastases.
"Studies have already been conducted that have examined the relationship between the number of cancer cells in the blood and the prognosis of the disease," says project leader Alessia Pallaoro. "The outcome of the disease is directly proportional to the number of cancer cells in the blood. Early detection of cancer cells in the blood is very important for diagnosis and treatment."
Primary prostate cancer does not kill patients. Distant metastases do. Therefore, it is important for scientists to know what mechanisms allow cancer cells to break away from the primary tumor. Timely detection and removal of these cells would make it possible to stop metastasis.
The technology presented makes it possible to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells by using laser spectroscopy (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy) and silver nanoparticles. "The absorption of laser light by silver nanoparticles results in the emission of a variety of colours," explains colleague Gary Braun. "This is not fluorescence. It has a wider range of possibilities."
"The revolutionary nature of our method is that it uses a large number of markers to identify and study specific cancer cells that are different from other cells in the cancer tumour," says Alessia Pallaoro. "These unique cells must be so strong that they are able to break away from the primary tumour and metastasise to other areas of the body. This process occurs as a result of specific changes that also appear on the surface of the cancer cells. Our goal is to detect these changes."
Scientists are currently working on creating a diagnostic microdevice based on nanoparticles, the spectrum of which can be constantly expanded.
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