Birmingham wins backing for ‘lollipop’ mouth cancer diagnostic
24 Mar 2024
A single step mouth cancer diagnostic that can be moulded into a solid and applied lollipop-style has won backing from Cancer Research UK and the Physical Sciences Research Council.
The brainchild of Dr Ruchi Gupta and colleagues from University of Birmingham School of Chemistry, it consists of biocompatible hydrogel that concentrates and labels proteins with a fluorescent marker in a single step. It can be applied to detect low abundance proteins from small sample sizes.
Gupta, associate professor of biosensors at Birmingham, said: “Smart hydrogels have really exciting potential for diagnosing mouth cancer. They can be easily moulded into shapes as a solid to ‘catch’ proteins in saliva, and we’re hoping that we can be the first to make a device which is much kinder for diagnosing mouth cancer for patients and easier for GPs to use.”
The hydrogel achieves protein capture via the fluorescent marker (fluorescein isothiocyanate or FITC), which is attached to the hydrogel by a photocleavable bond. On exposure to light, the protein, by then attached to the flourescin, is released from the hydrogel.
Last year, studies of the gel, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Analyst demonstrated a concentration factor of 236 with a reference protein (streptavidin), and 50% of the proteins in the hydrogel were released after 100 seconds exposure to UV light.
Biogels are often used for drug delivery and tissue regeneration but diagnostics represent a new area of activity.
The gel has fewer steps than existing diagnostic techniques such as ELISA based assays, or preconcentration using beads and electrophoresis, and can be conducted at room temperature.
Also, it can be employed in vitro or directly on patients, potentially offering alternatives to invasive and lengthier diagnostic procedures dependent on medical professionals.
Cancer Research UK’s Horizons innovation engine built to network has filed a patent application for the novel hydrogel, and the researchers are seeking partners to develop further applications.
Stated Gupta: “Beyond this project, we’re keen to investigate other possibilities for the hydrogel, and will welcome approaches from research or commercial organisations who want to collaborate on research or commercialisation.”
Pic: Alpha Labs
