SYDNEY, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a blood test that may help detect early-stage cancers by identifying four key proteins in tiny particles released by cells into the bloodstream.
The study, conducted by scientists at several Australian institutions, including the University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne, examined extracellular vesicles -- small bubble-like particles that carry proteins and other molecules between cells, according to a summary of the study published on the Australian Science Media Center website on Wednesday.
The researchers compared the proteins in these particles from healthy cells and cancer cells and found a pattern of four proteins linked to cancer. They used this information to develop a test to pick up the same four proteins in cancer samples, it said.
When they checked their test's performance on samples from patients with nine different types of cancer or from healthy people, they found the test could differentiate healthy samples from cancer samples with high accuracy, according to the study published in Cell Reports Medicine.
The test was also evaluated on 68 blood samples from patients suspected of having lung cancer, researchers said, adding it could distinguish between harmless lung changes and early-stage lung cancer, suggesting potential for population screening. ■
