Other screening methods for the cancer, like stool-based tests, can be unreliable and result in false positives. To remedy this problem, scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso are developing a less invasive portable device that would use blood samples to detect colorectal cancers. Their device is described in a new study published in the journal ACS Measurement Science Au.

Study co-author Ruma Paul, a doctoral student in chemistry at UTEP, said colorectal cancer is very treatable if detected early.

“The earlier the detection, the greater the hope for saving lives,” Paul said. “Blood-based tests are much easier on patients while also being able to precisely detect the early signs of colorectal cancer. Our research could one day make simpler early detection possible.”

The device detects a colon cancer secreted protein known as CCSP-2. The protein’s presence in colon cancer cells is 78 times higher than in normal colon cells, making its occurrence in the body a strong indicator of cancer, Paul said. CCSP-2 is also detectable in blood, the team said, which makes it an excellent biomarker; biomarkers are measurable biological “signals” that can indicate the presence of certain diseases.

Carlos Cabrera, Ph.D. the study’s corresponding author and a UTEP professor of chemistry and biochemistry, said, “Ruma’s doctoral research opens the possibility of developing a simple point-of-care portable device for colorectal cancer detection.”

Paul designed the device, known as an electrochemical immunosensor, to detect CCSP-2. She explained that this kind of device can be miniaturized and mass-produced, allowing it to potentially be used at home or in a doctor’s office. Before being available to patients, she added, the device would have to be patented and go through clinical trials, which can take many years to complete.

Sourav Roy, Ph.D., is an associate professor of biological sciences at UTEP and additional co-author on the study. He explained that the study is the first in a series of research projects that will test how suitable different biomarkers are to the portable device. Roy and his team are working to identify new proteins that are over-expressed in colon cancer tissues at different stages, which can be used as biomarkers and tested on the device.

“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.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Partnership for Innovation Grant.