By EMILY JOSHU HEALTH REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
A portable spit test costing just $5 (£3.97) could detect breast cancer using a single drop of saliva, a study suggests.
Researchers in Florida and Taiwan developed a palm-sized handheld device that detects cancer biomarkers like genes and proteins in saliva in just five seconds.
The sensor uses common components such as glucose tests, which diabetics use to measure blood sugar, and cheap open-source hardware.
The researchers said that the device could be a low-cost alternative to invasive procedures like mammograms and ultrasounds for detecting breast cancer, which is rising in the US and UK.
Hsiao-Hsuan Wan, study author and a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida, said: ‘Imagine medical staff conducting breast cancer screening in communities or hospitals.’
‘Our device is an excellent choice because it is portable — about the size of your hand — and reusable.’
‘The testing time is under five seconds per sample, which makes it highly efficient.’
In experiments, the researchers dipped paper glucose test strips in antibody solutions meant to interact with the proteins HER2 and CA 15-3, which cause breast cancer cells to develop and grow quickly.
According to the American Cancer Society, one in five breast cancer patients is HER2 positive, including actress Angelina Jolie.
Additionally, experts estimate that up to 80 percent of breast cancer patients produce have elevated CA 15-3 levels.
The team then obtained 17 human saliva samples from breast cancer patients and four from healthy volunteers.
Samples were divided into three groups: people without cancer, people with cancer that had not spread, and those with breast cancer that had spread beyond its primary site.
In the tests, one drop of saliva was placed on the test strip. Electrical pulses were then sent to contact points on the device, which was built with the open-source hardware Arduino.
The pulses then bound to the antibodies and altered the charge of the electrode, which was translated into a digital signal of cancer biomarkers on the device.
The experts said that the tests were able to differentiate between which patients had breast cancer and which did not. And the results came in after about five seconds.
‘The simplicity of operation and the potential for widespread public use in the future position this approach as a transformative tool in the early detection of breast cancer,’ the researchers wrote.
‘This research not only provides a crucial advancement in diagnostic methodologies but also holds the promise of revolutionizing public health practices.’
Dr Wan said: ‘In many places, especially in developing countries, advanced technologies like MRI for breast cancer testing may not be readily available.’
‘Our technology is more cost-effective, with the test strip costing just a few cents and the reusable circuit board priced at $5.’