A study highlights a new technique for detecting different cancers at an early stage by spotting their unique fingerprints via portable scanners.
- Researchers have discovered a revolutionary method for detecting cancer early using unique molecular fingerprints visible on ribosomes, the “protein factories” of cells.
- These chemical modifications, identified using direct sequencing technology, make it possible to distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells with almost perfect precision, particularly for lung cancer.
- These rapid tests, carried out with small portable devices, could ultimately be non-invasive, by analyzing RNA circulating in the blood.
A team of scientists from Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), a research institute in Barcelona, has discovered a revolutionary method to detect different types of cancer in their early stages using specific molecular fingerprints, identifiable within hours with wearable devices. This innovation, published in the journal Molecular Cellcould transform screening, making it faster and less invasive.
A complexity hidden in ribosomes
Their research focused on ribosomes, the “protein factories” of cells. These structures, composed of proteins and a specific RNA called ribosomal RNA (rRNA), were long considered uniform throughout the human body. But the team discovered subtle chemical changes that vary between tissues, developmental stages and diseases. “Our ribosomes are not all the same. And these differences tell us a lot about health and disease”explain the scientists in a press release.
Each fabric in fact presents a unique chemical fingerprint, or “epitranscriptomic imprint”visible on ribosomes. However, in patients with cancers, such as lung or testicular cancer, researchers have identified a systematic loss of these chemical markers, a phenomenon called hypomodification.
Analyzing tissue samples from 20 early-stage lung cancer patients, the team used these fingerprints to train an algorithm. Result: a test capable of distinguishing healthy and diseased tissue with near-perfect precision. “Most lung cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. With this method, we could detect them much earlier, saving patients valuable time”underline the researchers.
Towards less invasive screening
Note that this feat is made possible thanks to direct RNA sequencing by nanopore, a technology that analyzes RNA molecules in real time with their modifications intact. The devices used, small and portable (they fit in the palm of a hand), pave the way for rapid and accessible testing.
The researchers’ long-term goal is to detect these molecular imprints in RNA circulating in the blood, thereby avoiding invasive biopsies that require taking tissue samples from patients. But this method still requires additional studies. “We are only at the beginning. We are only beginning to decipher the language of cells”they conclude.