Illinois researchers developed a method to detect microRNA cancer markers with single-molecule resolution, a technique that could be used for liquid biopsies.
From left: Taylor Canady, postdoctoral scholar; Andrew Smith, professor of bioengineering; Nantao Li, graduate student; Lucas Smith, postdoctoral scholar; and Brian Cunningham – professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; director of Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.
Photo by L. Brian Stauffer
Thanks to the University of Illinois News Bureau for allowing us to share this article here.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A fast, inexpensive yet sensitive technique to detect cancer markers is bringing researchers closer to a liquid biopsy – a test using a small sample of blood or serum to detect cancer, rather than the invasive tissue sampling routinely used for diagnosis.
Researchers at the University of Illinois developed a method to capture and count cancer-associated microRNAs, or tiny bits of messenger molecules that are exuded from cells and can be detected in blood or serum, with single-molecule resolution. The team published its results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.