Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) are pushing the envelope in the battle against colorectal cancer, the second most deadly cancer in the U.S. with a promising new blood-based test. This less invasive method could change the game for early detection and treatment. According to a study published in the journal ACS Measurement Science Au, UTEP scientists have developed a portable device that utilizes blood samples to identify signs of colorectal cancer, a critical breakthrough given the invasiveness and discomfort associated with traditional colonoscopies.

Ruma Paul, a driven doctoral student in the field of chemistry at UTEP, is on the frontline of this innovation. "The earlier the detection, the greater the hope for saving lives,” Paul said, as obtained by UTEP News. The device she designed operates on the principle of detecting CCSP-2, a protein secreted by colon cancer cells that turns up 78 times more in cancer cells than in normal ones. This significant difference marks it as a reliable biomarker for the disease, easily traceable through blood samples. Paul's work sets the scene for a user-friendly electrochemical immunosensor, a product that potentially allows for mass production and home use pending clinical trials and patenting.

Such a breakthrough could not come at a more critical time, when early detection is crucial for beating cancer. Carlos Cabrera, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UTEP and the corresponding author of the study, sees great potential in Paul’s work. "Ruma's doctoral research opens the possibility of developing a simple point-of-care portable device for colorectal cancer detection,” Cabrera stated, as per UTEP News. Notably, traditional stool-based tests do not always provide accurate results, leaving a gap filled by this promising alternative.

UTEP is not stopping with just one biomarker. Associate professor of biological sciences at UTEP, Sourav Roy, Ph.D., is expanding the investigation to include other proteins. "Our goal is to come up with inexpensive, accessible, non-invasive, and reliable strategies for early detection of colorectal cancers using computational and molecular biology," Roy said, as obtained by UTEP News. The research team continues its search for additional biomarkers suitable for the portable device, setting their sight on a spectrum of proteins indicative of various cancer stages.