Home > Press > Nanowires Can Detect Molecular Signs Of Cancer
Use of minuscule devices to spot cancer markers could lead to
ultra-powerful new diagnostics Nanowires Can Detect Molecular
Signs Of Cancer, Scientists Find Cambridge, MA | September 23,
2005 Harvard University researchers have found that molecular
markers indicating the presence of cancer in the body are
readily detected in blood scanned by special arrays of silicon
nanowires -- even when these cancer markers constitute only one
hundred-billionth of the protein present in a drop of blood. In
addition to this exceptional accuracy and sensitivity, the
minuscule devices also promise to pinpoint the exact type of
cancer present with a speed not currently available to
clinicians. A paper describing the work will appear in October
in the journal Nature Biotechnology and is now posted on the
journal's web site. "This is one of the first applications of
nanotechnology to healthcare and offers a clinical technique
that is significantly better than what exi