On the medical front.
Researchers here are making innovative use of a genetic scissor strategy for early diagnosis of lung cancer.
Cha Yun-kyung explains.
It is important to detect lung cancer in its early stages since it is a top killer that can cause death without initial symptoms. To detect cancer, liquid biopsies using blood or urine are used nowadays, rather than taking a biopsy from the cancer tissue. However, a liquid biopsy is limited in certain medical testing as there may be too little of the oncogenes within the sample.
The research team developed a technology to detect lung cancer in its early stages with just traces of blood. Genetic scissors identify small amounts of lung cancer genes released by oncogene and separate them. Following amplification, the cancer genes are precisely identified. The whole process is similar to the standard PCR detection method, which also detects genes after amplification, but the genetic scissors technique more efficiently amplifies the genes.
“The current PCR method amplifies genes by using the temperature difference which causes uneven results. However, we planned this new technology to amplify genes quickly without a temperature change ”
The newly developed method makes it possible to test 16 patients’ samples in only 40 minutes by detecting small amounts of oncogenes up to 1,000 times less than that is needed for the standard PCR method.
The team is planning on commercializing the method by developing a miniaturized portable diagnostic instrument, in collaboration with local bio firms.
Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=279552
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