0
Shares
Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston can identify and quantify specific protein markers in human saliva to provide an early, noninvasive diagnosis of breast cancer, according to a new study. The study describes how the onset of breast cancer produces a change in the normal type and amount of proteins in glandular secretions from the salivary glands. The protein profile in a healthy person is altered by the presence of cancer. The study is being applied to a “lab-on-a-chip” technology platform developed by biochemists at the University of Texas at Austin. The ultimate goal is to bring this type of diagnostic test, which is capable of detecting the presence of cancer before a tumor forms, into the dental office or other healthcare facilities. In the study, researchers analyzed saliva samples from 30 patients. They found 49 proteins that differentiated healthy patients from those with benign breast tumors and those with malignant breast tumors. These findings suggest that patients can be tested for breast cancer by examining certain protein markers in their saliva during a visit to a dentist’s office or other healthcare facilities. Work is underway to design a diagnostic device, which may eventually be reduced from the size of a refrigerator to the size of a cellular phone. With a working prototype, a dentist can evaluate a patient’s saliva sample in a routine office visit, with no delay for lab work. The device will be tested in clinical trials. Collaborators are continuing to pursue salivary diagnostics for other types of cancer, such as ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and head and neck cancers.
(Source: ScienceDaily. Retrieved on January 14, 2008, from the Web site sciencedaily.com/releaes/2008/01/080110123921.htm
