MiRNA based screening for lung cancer can provide valuable insight into disease screening and can potentially transform personalized treatment. Conventional methods for diagnostic of lung cancer biomarkers still face important limitations of multiplexing capabilities, low cost, portability, and non-invasive diagnostic. MI-SCAN presents an innovative approach and capabilities in cost cost-effective way. Hence, upon successful implementation, MI-SCAN will result in a robust device, suitable for low-cost implementation, with ultrasensitive capabilities, at early-stage detection beyond what is available, and being considered the gold standard.
MI-SCAN initiated a radically new approach to unsolved diagnostic and healthcare challenges. Non-invasive lung tumor diagnostics is an unmet challenge. To date, all techniques for the analysis based on miRNA identification require a previous amplification step. So far, early detection of lung cancer using miRNA from sputum samples by PCR is limited by its selectivity and sensitivity (85-90%) below the clinical requirement (above 95%).
Beyond the state-of-art, the project applies a narrow SERS signal with a single molecular sensitivity approach with an expectation to achieve high-quality multiplex detection of a panel of miRNA biomarkers to fulfill the clinical requirement for PoC system. The interdisciplinary methodology applies the chemical synthesis of applied gold nanoparticles and the application of high-end laser physics to fabricate ready-to-use biosafe chip. The MI-SCAN stands out to explore connections between disciplines to develop a potential clinical diagnostic tool that can become the core for new companies, industries, and radically new ways of tackling human health challenges.
MI-SCAN delivers a solution for early-stage cancer diagnosis at the molecular level, flagging the technique for effective economical diagnosis. Furthermore, MI-SCAN idea is not only a possibility to improve the lives of people but also to lower inclusive healthcare costs. Moreover, MI-SCAN impact will not be restricted to cancer, but this technology could further be developed for monitoring various other cancer types and diseases as well as recognition of infectious pathogens (viruses, bacteria, etc.), and translated to other areas such as environmental, food, defense, and security.
