New Non-invasive Device Evaluates the Effectiveness of Cancer Treatments
A newly developed FAST device is a quick, affordable and accurate way to determine the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
Highlights:
- Currently, some under observation tumors are measured by hand with calipers
- Now a compact, wearable, non-invasive device can measure the varying size of tumors beneath the skin
A compact, autonomous gadget with a stretchable and flexible sensor to measure the varying size of tumors beneath the skin has been developed by Stanford University engineers. The battery-powered, non-invasive device can wirelessly transmit results to a smartphone app in real-time and is sensitive to one-hundredth of a millimeter (10 micrometers).
The researchers claim that this FAST (Flexible Autonomous Sensor measuring Tumors) device is a novel, quick, affordable, hands-free and accurate method of evaluating the effectiveness of cancer treatments. On a larger scale, it might encourage novel cancer therapy directions.
‘A membrane that resembles skin and is electronically sensitive can detect changes in tumor size down to the hundredth of a millimeter. It is a fresher, quicker and more precise method of screening cancer medications.’
Researchers annually test thousands of possible cancer medications on mice with subcutaneous tumors. Because technologies for assessing tumor regression following drug treatment take weeks to read out a response, few reach human patients, and the search for new medicines is slow. Drug screens are challenging and time-consuming because to the inherent biological variability of tumors, the limitations of current measurement techniques and the relatively small sample quantities.
"In some cases, the tumors under observation must be measured by hand with calipers," says Alex Abramson, first author of the study and a recent postdoc in the lab of Zhenan Bao, the K.K. Lee Professor in Chemical Engineering in the Stanford School of Engineering.
It is not ideal to measure soft tissues with metal pincer-like calipers, and radiological methods cannot provide the continuous data required for real-time assessment. While caliper and bioluminescence tests frequently need weeks-long observation periods to read out changes in tumor size, FAST can detect changes in tumor volume on a minute-timescale.
Working of the FAST Sensor for Detecting Tumor Changes
The flexible, elastic polymer that makes up the FAST sensor has a layer of gold circuitry implanted within it. Yasser Khan and Naoji Matsuhisa, two co-authors and former postdocs, created a tiny electronic backpack that connects to this sensor. The apparatus sends data to a smartphone after measuring the strain on the membrane- how much it expands or contracts. Potential medicines linked to tumor size regression can be swiftly and confidently ruled out as useless or fast-tracked for more research using the FAST backpack.Advantages of Flexible Sensor that can Measure Tumor Size
The researchers claim that the new technology delivers at least three noteworthy advancements. Since the sensor is physically attached to the mouse and stays in place throughout the experiment, it first offers continuous monitoring. Second, because the flexible sensor envelops the tumor, it can detect shape changes that are challenging to identify with existing techniques. Third, FAST is non-intrusive and autonomous. It is wirelessly connected, battery-operated, and attached to the skin in a manner like an adhesive bandage. Scientists do not need to actively manage the mice after sensor placement because the mouse is free to wander around without being constrained by the device or wires. FAST packs may cost around $60. They are reusable and take only a few minutes to attach to the mouse.The flexible electronic material used by FAST represents a breakthrough. The skin-like polymer is covered with a layer of gold that, when stretched, forms minute fissures that alter electrical conductivity. When you stretch the electronic material, the number of cracks increases. It also raises the electronic resistance in the sensor. The cracks come back into contact and conductivity increases due to the material's contraction.
The University of Tokyo associate professor and co-author Matsuhisa described how variations in dimension and volume can be theoretically equated with changes in crack propagation and exponential changes in conductivity.
The worry that the sensor itself would tamper with measurements by exerting excessive pressure on the tumor and compressing it was one obstacle the researchers had to overcome. They made the sensor as flexible and supple as actual skin by carefully matching the mechanical properties of the flexible material with skin to eliminate that risk.
"It is a deceptively simple design," Abramson says, "but these inherent advantages should be very interesting to the pharmaceutical and oncological communities. FAST could significantly expedite, automate and lower the cost of the process of screening cancer therapies."
Source: Medindia
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Dr. Trupti Shirole. "New Non-invasive Device Evaluates the Effectiveness of Cancer Treatments". Medindia. Oct 14, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/new-non-invasive-device-evaluates-the-effectiveness-of-cancer-treatments-208677-1.htm>.
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Dr. Trupti Shirole. "New Non-invasive Device Evaluates the Effectiveness of Cancer Treatments". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/new-non-invasive-device-evaluates-the-effectiveness-of-cancer-treatments-208677-1.htm. (accessed Oct 14, 2024).
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