{"679470":{"#nid":"679470","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Biosensors Could Revolutionize Cancer Detection","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed biosensors with advanced sleuthing skills and the technology may revolutionize cancer detection and monitoring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tiny detectives can identify key biological markers using logical reasoning inspired by the \u201cAND\u201d function in computers \u2014 like, when you need your username and password to log in. And unlike traditional biosensors comprised of genetic materials \u2014\u0026nbsp;cells, bits of DNA \u2014 these are made of manufactured molecules.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese new biosensors are more precise and simpler to manufacture, reducing the number of false positives and making them more practical for clinical use. And because the sensors are cell-free, there\u2019s a reduced risk for immunogenic side effects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe think the accuracy and simplicity of our biosensors will lead to accessible, personalized, and effective treatments, ultimately saving lives,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/gabe-kwong\u0022\u003EGabe Kwong\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor and Robert A. Milton Endowed Chair in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, who led the study, published this month in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41565-024-01834-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreaking With Tradition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers set out to address the limitations in current biosensors for cancer, like the ones designed for CAR-T cells to allow them to recognize tumor cells. These advanced biosensors are made of genetic material, and there is growing interest to reduce the potential for off-target toxicity by using Boolean \u201cAND-gate\u201d computer logic. That means they\u2019re designed to release a signal only when two specific conditions are met.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTraditionally, these biosensors involve genetic engineering using cell-based systems, which is a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process,\u201d said Kwong.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, his team developed biosensors made of iron oxide nanoparticles and special molecules called cyclic peptides. Synthesizing nanomaterials and peptides is a simpler, less costly process than genetic engineering, according to Kwong, \u201cwhich means we can likely achieve large-scale, economical production of high-precision biosensors.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnlocking the AND-gate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiosensors detect cancer signals and track treatment progress by turning biological signals into readable outputs for doctors. With AND-gate logic, two distinct inputs are required for an output.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccordingly, the researchers engineered cyclic peptides \u2014 small amino acid chains \u2014 to respond only when they encounter two specific types of enzymes, proteases called granzyme B (secreted by the immune system) and matrix metalloproteinase (from cancer cells). The peptides generate a signal when both proteases are present and active.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThink of a high-security lock that needs two unique keys to open. In this scenario, the peptides are the lock, activating the sensor signal only when cancer is present and being confronted by the immune system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur peptides allow for greater accuracy in detecting cancer activity,\u201d said the study\u2019s lead author, Anirudh Sivakumar, a postdoctoral researcher in Kwong\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lsi.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELaboratory for Synthetic Immunity\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u2019s very specific, which is important for knowing when immune cells are targeting and killing tumor cells.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuper Specific\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn animal studies, the biosensors successfully distinguished between tumors that responded to a common cancer treatment called immune checkpoint blockade therapy \u2014 ICBT, which enhances the immune system \u2014 from tumors that resisted treatment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring these tests, the sensors also demonstrated their ability to avoid false signals from other, unrelated health issues, such as when the immune system confronted a flu infection in the lungs, away from the tumor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis level of specificity can be game changing,\u201d Kwong said. \u201cImagine being able to identify which patients are responding to the therapy early in their treatment. That would save time and improve patient outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first step toward this simpler, precise form of cancer diagnostics began with an ambitious but humble ($50,000) seed grant from the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience five years ago for a collaboration between Kwong\u2019s lab and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/finnlab\/\u0022\u003Elab of M.G. Finn\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and chair in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt evolved into a multi-institutional project supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health that included researchers from the University of California-Riverside, as well as Georgia Tech faculty researchers Finn and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Peng-Qiu\u0022\u003EPeng Qiu\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the Coulter Department.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe progression of the research, from an initial seed grant all the way to animal studies, was very smooth,\u201d Kwong said. \u201cUltimately, a collaborative, multidisciplinary effort turned our early vision into something that could have a great impact in healthcare.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation:\u003C\/strong\u003E Anirudh Sivakumar,\u0026nbsp;Hathaichanok Phuengkham,\u0026nbsp;Hitha Rajesh,\u0026nbsp;Quoc D. Mac,\u0026nbsp;Leonard C. Rogers, Aaron D. Silva Trenkle, Swapnil Subhash Bawage,\u0026nbsp;Robert Hincapie,\u0026nbsp;Zhonghan Li,\u0026nbsp;Sofia Vainikos,\u0026nbsp;Inho Lee,\u0026nbsp;Min Xue,\u0026nbsp;Peng Qiu,\u0026nbsp;M. G. Finn, Gabriel A. Kwong. \u201cAND-gated protease-activated nanosensors for programmable detection of anti-tumour immunity.\u201d \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology\u003C\/em\u003E (January 2025).\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41565-024-01834-8\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41565-024-01834-8\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;This research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants 5U01CA265711, 5R01CA237210, 1DP2HD091793, and 5DP1CA280832.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"BME researchers combine precision and simplicity in transforming diagnostic tools."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBME researchers combine precision and simplicity in cell-free biosensors, transforming diagnostic tools.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"BME researchers combine precision and simplicity in cell-free biosensors, transforming diagnostic tools."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2025-01-13 14:43:32","changed_gmt":"2025-01-13 14:54:09","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675994":{"id":"675994","type":"image","title":"Gabe and Anirudh","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnirudh Sivakumar (right) and Gabe Kwong led development of new gene-free biosensors for cancer detection. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1736779096","gmt_created":"2025-01-13 14:38:16","changed":"1736780077","gmt_changed":"2025-01-13 14:54:37","alt":"Anirudh Sivakumar (right) and Gabe Kwong led development of new gene-free biosensors for cancer detection.  ","file":{"fid":"259691","name":"Gabe research.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/13\/Gabe%20research.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/13\/Gabe%20research.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3604973,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/13\/Gabe%20research.jpg?itok=Uqf-tUst"}}},"media_ids":["675994"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"9513","name":"Cancer Reserach"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10454","name":"biosensors"},{"id":"143471","name":"Cancer diagnostics"},{"id":"173581","name":"go-COS"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}