Innovative Point-of-Care Device Could Enhance Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

by Chema Arcos

This potential diagnostic method, financed with European funds, is a promising option for detecting biomarkers related to breast cancer in just a few minutes.

A team of researchers from the SERENA European project, coordinated by ICREA Prof. Arben Merkoçi and led by Dr Marianna Rossetti (Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group), is developing a diagnostic platform with great potential to detect breast cancer biomarkers almost instantly. Funded under grant agreement ID:101029884, this device will be capable of identifying molecules that indicate the presence of the disease in the body.

Specifically, the device is being designed to detect RNA fragments associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. This research is being carried out in a Marie Curie fellowship framework.

What is triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)?

Within the different types of breast cancer, we speak of TNBC when the tumour cells do not have progesterone or oestrogen receptors, nor do they have a high level of the HER2 protein. This means that hormonal therapies are not effective against this type of breast cancer. Therefore, the main treatment strategies are usually chemotherapy or radiotherapy. These cancers account for about 10-15% of all breast cancer cases.

The importance of early diagnosis

One of the factors that can determine the success of TNBC treatment is early diagnosis. Therefore, devices such as those developed in the SERENA project can play a key role. These simple and rapid diagnostic platforms, which can be used directly in the doctor's office, could be very useful in facilitating access to early diagnosis for a large part of the population.

Specifically, the device is based on miniaturised electrodes made of graphene-nanoparticle hybrid composites. Thanks to this technology, high sensitivity has been achieved in detecting tumour-associated RNA fragments. In addition, it can be used with different biological samples, including blood, serum, plasma, urine, and saliva, which is crucial for its potential application at the point of care. However, trials with larger populations are still necessary before it can be widely adopted.

This project is undoubtedly an important step forward in the search for new rapid methods of cancer diagnosis.

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