In a significant development, a team of UK scientists has been awarded a £350,000 ($441,588) funding over the next three years by Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop a cancer detecting ‘Lollipop.’
Article continues below
The team led by Dr Ruchi Gupta, the Associate Professor of Biosensors at the University of Birmingham, will make a prototype flavoured ‘Lollipop’ from a material called a smart hydrogel that can diagnose mouth cancer early.
Smart hydrogels work a bit like a fishing net – they absorb large quantities of water whilst “catching” larger molecules, such as proteins. The “net” can then be cut open to release the larger molecules for analysis in the lab.
The ‘Lollipop’ will be created from a smart hydrogel previously developed by Dr Gupta and her team. The idea is that patients suck on the Lollipop, transferring a saliva sample into the hydrogel.
Scientists can then release the ‘caught’ proteins by blasting the hydrogel with UV light and then analyse the liquid for saliva proteins which indicate the early stages of mouth cancer.
Currently, diagnosing mouth cancer can involve putting a flexible camera on the end of a tube through the nose or mouth and taking a biopsy for testing. This procedure is invasive, time-consuming and requires an endoscopist.
Thanks to the efforts of Dr Gupta and team, a ‘Lollipop’ that can diagnose mouth cancer early could soon become a reality, said experts.
Dr Gupta said she was thrilled to receive funding to begin the next phase of the project.
"Smart hydrogels have really exciting potential for diagnosing mouth cancer," she stated. "They can be easily moulded into shapes as a solid to ‘catch’ proteins in saliva," she explained. ■
A strong storm that originated over the Pacific has tracked through the Great Basin and is currently transitioning across the Rockies to redevelop across the central High Plains later today into early Saturday morning.