Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have developed a test for ovarian cancer detection with a sensitivity 4.5 times higher than that of the conventional laboratory test.
Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have developed a test for ovarian cancer detection with a sensitivity 4.5 times higher than that of the conventional laboratory test. The simple lateral flow test is based on rapid detection of abnormal sugar structures directly from the blood sample.
The CA125 antigen, a plasma membrane glycoprotein found in the tissues of the female reproductive tract, is commonly used for the detection of ovarian cancer but works poorly on its own in identifying early stage cancers. The cancer specificity can be improved significantly when CA125 detection is combined with targeting aberrant sugar structures in the tumour.
The goal of the research group led by Professor Kim Pettersson is to develop novel tests that use the detection of modified sugar structures from the cancer tissue. The recently published article describes how the research group developed this rapid and sensitive point-of-care diagnostic test that can detect ovarian cancer from the patient’s blood sample.
Read more at University of Turku
Photo Credit: PDPics via Pixabay
