A study carried out by American scientists from the Terasaki Institute of Biomedical Innovation aims to develop a contact lens that can detect and diagnose various types of cancer. However, the lens in question is still being tested in the laboratory. Check out the full article to learn more about the contact lens that can detect cancer and save lives.
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The purpose of the study is that this contact lens can analyze the compounds present in people's tears in order to diagnose the disease. These compounds are exosomes, which are vesicles found in body secretions that have the potential to be biomarkers. In addition to tears, the compounds are also present in urine, plasma and saliva.
The study was published in a scientific journal called "Advanced Functional Material". The lens was designed with tiny antibody-related cameras that capture exosomes. This microcamera is used for detection as it offers a more selective view.
The offered image facilitates the visualization and helps in the pre-screening of cancer, being a more economical, fast and non-invasive tool. Once captured, proteins that are specific to the membrane can react with the antibodies. With this, it would be possible to detect the presence (if any) of some type of cancer in the patient.
Because of this ability, exosomes have been sought after to be used in other studies with the same objective. However, a difficult point in this is that there is some difficulty in isolating exosomes in sufficient quantity and purity for studies.
It is hoped that the study will be completed and it can be successful so that the diagnosis of cancer is easier. With this, many lives can be saved and many people can adhere to treatments early to reduce damage.
