(^20) WORLD NEWS l BIOSPECTRUM | SEPTEMBER 2018 | http://www.biospectrumindia.com
Scientists from Duke University, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and Singapore based
Nanyang Technological University have found that
a microfluidic platform based on sound waves can
rapidly carry out liquid biopsies. The study showed
that the technology can separate circulating tumour
cells (CTCs) from 7.5ml of a blood sample with at
least an 86 per cent efficiency within one hour. Fast
and efficient extraction of CTCs and their growth
is expected to enable a liquid biopsy that can assess
individual CTC profiling to facilitate diagnosis,
prognosis and treatment decisions. According to the
scientists, the risk of damage to CTCs is decreased
with the new approach because each tumour cell is
exposed to the sound waves only for a fraction of a
second. The sound waves also eliminate the need for
labelling or surface modification, allowing retaining
of natural functions and states of the cells. Currently,
the teams are working towards further developing the
technology to enhance its speed and efficiency, while
determining its feasibility in various culturing and
profiling projects to validate its clinical use.
Bill Gates has announced the introduction
of the Diagnostics Accelerator, a project of
the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
(ADDF), to further ideas for earlier and better
diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Gates is leading
the funding with a $30 million investment.
The project is set up as a venture capital fund,
bringing together biotech companies, academics,
charities and other partners. One of the main
bottlenecks in Alzheimer’s drug development
has been a lack of validated biomarkers to
diagnose patients noninvasively, monitor
progression or reveal subgroups that may
benefit from specific therapies
in clinical trials. Currently,
the only way to definitively
diagnose the disease is
through an autopsy; tests
of cognitive decline need
to rule out other possible
causes. Positron emission
tomography scans can be
used to detect amyloid
plaque deposits
in the brain, but
the technology
is not widely
available and
carries high
radiation
exposure.
Bill Gates introduces
dementia Diagnostics
Accelerator
A new study conducted by a team
of researchers at the National
and Kapodistrian University of
Athens, Greece suggests that a
simple saliva test can replace the
blood sugar level test for diabetes
assessment. The study finds that
proteins in saliva reflect high
blood sugar and associated disease
processes in young patients with
type 1 diabetes, long before the
appearance of clinical symptoms.
This could lead to better prediction
and prevention of long-term
complications of the disease.
The researchers found that
young type 1 diabetics with good
blood sugar control had similar
saliva protein profiles to non-
diabetics. In contrast, young
people with poorly controlled type
1 diabetes showed a very different
saliva protein profile. Researchers
envision that in the near future
diagnosis and monitoring of
therapeutic strategies in diabetes
will be possible with only a drop of
saliva, through ultra-sensitive and
highly specific techniques such as
the Multiple Reaction Monitoring
as well as real-time, non-invasive,
salivary glucose monitoring
devices.
Scientists create platform
to carry out liquid biopsy
New research suggests saliva test for detecting diabetes
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