A new system for detecting cancer proteins uses the same
magnetic phenomenon that lets computer hard drives read and
write data. The Stanford University researchers developing the
system hope that it will detect cancer in its earlier stages,
when it’s easier to treat. MagArray, a startup in Sunnyvale, CA,
will commercialize the technology. Well before cancers are
visible on medical imaging scans, their cells release small
amounts of telltale proteins into the blood. Researchers are
developing ways to detect those proteins, frequently by tagging
them with fluorescent labels. But while all biological samples
have some background fluorescence, they have virtually no
magnetic background. Magnetic protein detection could thus yield
a clearer signal, says Shan Wang, a professor of materials
science and engineering and electrical engineering at Stanford
University. Another approach to early cancer detection involves
devices that catch cancer proteins on the tips of vibrating
nanostructures and measure how they affec