Key points from article :
New device to identify a key membrane protein in urine that indicates the presence of brain tumor.
Using the device, two specific types of EV membrane proteins (CD31/CD63) were identified from urine samples.
One possible sign that a person has a brain tumor is the presence of tumor-related extracellular vesicles (EVs) in their urine.
EVs are nano-sized vesicles involved in a variety of functions, including cell-to-cell communication.
EVs in brain cancer patients have specific types of RNA and membrane proteins, they could detect cancer and its progression.
Many EVs from cancer cells exist stably and are excreted in the urine without breaking down.
Avoids the need for invasive tests and increases the likelihood of tumors being detected early enough for surgery.
Detecting the tumor when it is still small, and starting treatment as soon as possible, should help to save lives.
"Urine tests are an effective, simple, and non-invasive method as it contains many informative biomolecules that can be traced back to identify the disease," - Takao Yasui, Associate Professor at Nagoya University.
Potential implications for detecting other types of cancer.
Study by Nagoya University published in ACS Nano.
