Urine test to detect ovarian cancer, is it possible?

2024-02-10 15:37:00

A urine test to detect ovarian cancer when the disease is in its infancy. An American study opens up the development of a simple test which, in combination with the information collected through the classic measurement of markers such as Ca-125 in the blood, transvaginal ultrasound and family history, could help the early diagnosis of a tumor today difficult to identify in the very early stages. The research was conducted by Joseph Reiner and colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University, and will be presented in the USA during the 68th annual meeting of the Biophysical Society (Philadelphia, 10-14 February).

The studies, the US technique

Previous studies had shown that thousands of small protein molecules or peptides travel in the urine of women affected by ovarian cancer. Although it is possible to detect them using already existing and consolidated techniques, these methods are complex and expensive. Reiner sought a new approach to detecting and recognizing spy peptides, focusing on technology that could potentially detect several simultaneously. The method is based on the measurement of changes in electric current or other properties, determined by the passage of molecules through tiny pores or nanopores. The US team used gold nanoparticles that can partially block these nanopores. The peptides, as they pass, attach themselves to the nanoparticles and ‘dancing’ around them will produce a unique molecular signature.

With this technique, Reiner’s group was able to identify and analyze 13 peptides, including those derived from the biomarker Lrg-1 found in the urine of ovarian cancer patients. “We now know the signatures of these 13 peptides – says the researcher – we know how these signatures appear and how they could be used in this detection scheme. It is like having a ‘fingerprint’ that tells us what the peptide is. Clinical data – Reiner points out – show a 50-75% improvement in 5-year survival when tumors are detected in the early stages. This is true for numerous types of cancer”, probably including ovarian cancer.