A researcher at the University of Missouri has recently been awarded a 5-year, $400,000 research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue his work to develop a tiny sensor that could potentially instantly detect the presence of cancer cells.
Jae Kwon, who is an engineer by training, has developed a device that uses sensors thinner than a human hair to detect disease in human bodily fluid - in real time. The device does not require a great deal of other equipment to analyze its data or interpret its results. This means that it could potentially be used at a patient's bedside, in doctor's offices, or even at home to provide near instantaneous results.
The potential applications for such a device are nearly limitless. For instance, prostate cancer spread or recurrence could potentially be more quickly detected and, thus, more quickly treated. It may also be possible with such a device to more accurately determine where sites of distant cancer metastasis are located, so that treatments can be more precisely tailored.
