Detecting cancer early can save lives, but current medical tools often only find the disease after it has already developed.
Now, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are working on a new approach that could identify cancer signals five to eight years before diagnosis—long before any symptoms appear.
The research is led by Seemesh Bhaskar, a postdoctoral scientist in Professor Brian Cunningham’s Nanosensors Group at The Grainger College of Engineering.
Bhaskar believes cancer detection should begin much earlier than it does today, giving patients more time and better chances for treatment.
His work combines knowledge from physics, chemistry, photonics (the science of light), and nanotechnology. Together, these fields are helping scientists detect tiny biological changes in the body that may signal cancer years in advance.
At the center of this approach are molecules such as DNA and RNA. When cells begin to change in ways that may lead to cancer, they release small molecular signals, including microRNA.
These signals can appear long before the disease is diagnosed, but they are extremely difficult to detect because they are so small.
This is where photonics and nanotechnology come in. Photonics uses light to study and measure tiny structures, while nanotechnology involves materials engineered at an extremely small scale. By combining the two, researchers can “communicate” with these microscopic molecules and observe how they behave.
Bhaskar explains that traditional tools struggle to detect such small signals because they lack the necessary resolution.
However, specially designed nanomaterials can interact directly with microRNA and other biological components. When combined with light, these materials allow scientists to observe early changes inside cells.
In their recent study published in Chemical Reviews, the team reviewed decades of scientific research and developed new models to better understand why there is often a long delay between the start of cancer and its diagnosis.
Their findings suggest that these early molecular signals could be detected much sooner using advanced photonic techniques.
One key innovation in their work is exploring a part of light that has often been overlooked: its magnetic properties. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, but for many years, scientists mainly focused on its electric components. Bhaskar’s team developed nanoscale structures that can interact with the magnetic aspect of light, opening up new possibilities for detection.
Using laboratory-made nano-assemblies, the researchers were able to simulate how these systems could detect microRNA linked to future cancer development. In simple terms, the technology may allow doctors to identify warning signs years before a tumor forms.
While the research is still in development, its potential impact is significant. Earlier detection means doctors could monitor patients more closely, start treatment sooner, and improve survival rates.
For Bhaskar, the goal is clear. By finding cancer earlier, doctors gain more time to act—and patients gain a better chance at life.
Source: KSR.
