https://phys.org/news/2022-03-worm-on-a-chip-device-lung-cancer.html Phys.org Topics * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe [ ] Science X Account [ ] [ ] [*] Remember me Sign In Click here to sign in with or Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Nanotechnology * Physics * Earth * Astronomy & Space * Chemistry * Biology * Other Sciences * Medical Xpress Medicine * Tech Xplore Technology * * share this! * 3.1K * 30 * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Chemistry 3. Analytical Chemistry * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- March 20, 2022 'Worm-on-a-chip' device could someday help diagnose lung cancer by American Chemical Society 'Worm-on-a-chip' device could someday help diagnose lung cancer A "worm-on-a-chip" device tracks nematodes' movements toward odor molecules produced by lung cancer cells. Credit: Nari Jang Dogs can use their incredible sense of smell to sniff out various forms of cancer in human breath, blood and urine samples. Similarly, in the lab a much simpler organism, the roundworm C. elegans, wriggles its way toward cancer cells by following an odor trail. Today, scientists report a device that uses the tiny worms to detect lung cancer cells. This "worm-on-a-chip" could someday help doctors noninvasively diagnose cancer at an earlier stage. The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Early diagnosis of cancer is critical for effective treatment and survival, says Nari Jang, a graduate student who is presenting the work at the meeting. Therefore, cancer screening methods should be quick, easy, economical and noninvasive. Currently, doctors diagnose lung cancer by imaging tests or biopsies, but these methods often can't detect tumors at their earliest stages. Although dogs can be trained to sniff out human cancer, they aren't practical to keep in labs. So Jang and Shin Sik Choi, Ph.D., the project's principal investigator, decided to use worms called nematodes, which are tiny (~1 mm in length), easy to grow in the lab and have an extraordinary sense of smell, to develop a noninvasive cancer diagnostic test. "Lung cancer cells produce a different set of odor molecules than normal cells," says Choi, who is at Myongji University in Korea. "It's well known that the soil-dwelling nematode, C. elegans, is attracted or repelled by certain odors, so we came up with an idea that the roundworm could be used to detect lung cancer." Other researchers have placed nematodes in petri dishes and added drops of human urine, observing that the worms preferentially crawled toward urine samples from cancer patients. Jang and Choi wanted to make an accurate, easy-to-measure form of the test. So the team made a chip out of polydimethylsiloxane elastomer that had a well at each end connected by channels to a central chamber. The researchers placed the chip on an agar plate. At one end of the chip, they added a drop of culture media from lung cancer cells, and at the other end, they added media from normal lung fibroblasts. They placed worms in the central chamber, and after an hour, they observed that more worms had crawled toward the lung cancer media than the normal media. In contrast, worms that had a mutated odor receptor gene called odr-3 did not show this preferential behavior. Based on these tests, the researchers estimated that the device was about 70% effective at detecting cancer cells in diluted cell culture media. They hope to increase both the accuracy and sensitivity of the method by using worms that were previously exposed to cancer cell media and therefore have a "memory" of cancer-specific odor molecules. Once the team has optimized the worm-on-a-chip for detecting cultured lung cancer cells, they plan to move on to testing urine, saliva or even exhaled breath from people. "We will collaborate with medical doctors to find out whether our methods can detect lung cancer in patients at an early stage," Choi says. They also plan to test the device on multiple forms of cancer. In other studies using the worm-on-a-chip, the researchers identified the specific odor molecules that attract C. elegans to lung cancer cells, including a volatile organic compound called 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, which has a floral scent. "We don't know why C. elegans are attracted to lung cancer tissues or 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, but we guess that the odors are similar to the scents from their favorite foods," Jang says. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Explore further What a worm! Japan firm uses nematodes to sniff out cancer --------------------------------------------------------------------- More information: Non-invasive lung diagnosis system using odorant markers in Caenorhabditis elegans-on-a-chip, ACS Spring 2022. acs.digitellinc.com/acs/live/22/page/677 Provided by American Chemical Society Citation: 'Worm-on-a-chip' device could someday help diagnose lung cancer (2022, March 20) retrieved 22 March 2022 from https://phys.org /news/2022-03-worm-on-a-chip-device-lung-cancer.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. 3119 shares * Facebook * Twitter * Email Feedback to editors * Featured * Last Comments * Popular Calculating the global carbon footprint of space science 2 hours ago 0 Dating of boulders suggests Ice-Free Corridor from Beringia to Great Plains existed 13,800 years ago 10 hours ago 3 Nonaxisymmetric wavelike patterns identified in the equatorial region of the Earth's core 10 hours ago 0 A unimorph nanocomposite dielectric elastomer for large-scale actuation Mar 21, 2022 0 Using electron microscopy and automatic atom-tracking to learn more about grain boundaries in metals during deformation Mar 21, 2022 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------- [gif] 'Junk DNA' could be key to controlling fear 1 hour ago [gif] Study suggests how much competition in the urban ride market can grow before gridlock sets in 1 hour ago [gif] Ancient migrants carrying maize from south were early Maya ancestors, says study 2 hours ago [gif] Researchers manage to generate attosecond pulses at 100 kHz repetition rate 2 hours ago [gif] Calculating the global carbon footprint of space science 2 hours ago [gif] Researcher documents what happened during the first attempt at a gravitational-wave observatory in Europe 4 hours ago [gif] Arctic winter 2022 sea ice found to be 10th-lowest on record 4 hours ago --------------------------------------------------------------------- Relevant PhysicsForums posts How to supply power to a diode or laser pointer for a laser device and be able to vary the voltage or current to meet a desire output power? 57 minutes ago Really worried about Ukraine 59 minutes ago Today I learned 1 hour ago Potential difference of a ring rolling in magnetic field 1 hour ago Collision when a falling tank impacts the surface of a lake 1 hour ago Need help with a question about powers of complex numbers 1 hour ago More from Physics Forums | Science Articles, Homework Help, Discussion --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Related Stories [gif] What a worm! Japan firm uses nematodes to sniff out cancer Nov 16, 2021 [gif] Personalized blood test can detect persistent lung cancer Mar 18, 2022 [gif] Study shows dogs can accurately sniff out cancer in blood Apr 08, 2019 [gif] Mayo Clinic Minute: Understanding lung cancer Apr 26, 2021 [gif] Using machine learning to detect lung cancer DNA in blood Mar 26, 2020 [gif] First population-based study finds state-level lung cancer screening rates not aligned with lung cancer burden in US Nov 12, 2020 * Recommended for you [gif] New method of bond detection could lead to cheaper, more efficient ways to capture carbon Mar 17, 2022 [gif] Chemical engineers use neural networks to discover the properties of metal-organic frameworks Mar 11, 2022 [gif] Luminescence reaction modeled on fireflies can detect contamination with organophosphate pesticides Mar 11, 2022 [gif] New details on the formation of 'metal soaps' in oil paint that hinder the conservation of artworks Mar 04, 2022 [gif] Transparent ultrasound chip improves cell stimulation and imaging Feb 24, 2022 [gif] CO2 recycling and efficient drug development: Tackling two problems with one reaction Feb 22, 2022 Load comments (0) Let us know if there is a problem with our content Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request [-- please select one -- ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message to the editors [ ] Your email (only if you want to be contacted back) [ ] Send Feedback Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. E-mail the story 'Worm-on-a-chip' device could someday help diagnose lung cancer Your friend's email [ ] Your email [ ] [ ] I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. Learn more Your name [ ] Note Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message [ ] Send Newsletter sign up Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. [ ] Subscribe More information Privacy policy Medical Xpress Medical Xpress Medical research advances and health news Tech Xplore Tech Xplore The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances Science X Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web Newsletters [ ] Subscribe Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox Follow us * * * * * Top * Home * Search * Mobile version * Help * FAQ * About * Contact * Science X Account * Sponsored Account * Archive * News wire * Android app * iOS app * RSS feeds * Push notification (c) Phys.org 2003 - 2022 powered by Science X Network Privacy policy Terms of use Your Privacy This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Ok Cookie options E-mail newsletter [ ] Subscribe Follow us * * * * It appears that you are currently using Ad Blocking software. What are the consequences? x Quantcast