A pill that has been tested in mice could diagnose breast cancer while helping women avoid radiation exposure and eliminating the need for annual mammography.
The "disease screening pill," developed by researchers from the University of Michigan, lit up malignant tumors in mice when exposed to near-infrared light—all without the use of radiation, according to a study published online April 26 in Molecular Pharmaceutics.
Mammograms require patient exposure to radiation, while fluorescent probes must be administered intravenously and invasively.
Researchers—led by corresponding author Greg Thurber, PhD, an assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan—wanted to develop a more accurate, non-invasive approach. They combined two types of molecules into a single pill: a targeting molecule that bonded to proteins on the surface of breast cancer cells and a dye with negatively charged sulfate groups to enhance its solubility and visibility, the researchers wrote.
Testing the pill in mice, the team saw a small amount was absorbed into the blood stream and bound to cancer cells "with little background noise."
"To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a disease screening approach using oral administration of a molecular imaging agent, and these mechanisms should be applicable to additional agents and disease targets for developing a series of molecular imaging agents for noninvasive screening," the researchers wrote.
The research was funded by the Foundation for Studying and Combating Cancer, National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the National Institutes of Health, according to a May 16 press release from the American Chemical Society.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.