Just mentioning the word “cancer” sends shivers down people’s spines. It is notoriously difficult to treat and causes immense pain for patients. Recently, scientists have developed a type of contact lens that can detect and even potentially cure cancer.
The research is led by Yangzhi Zhu, a biomedical engineer at the Terasak Institute for Biomedical Innovation (USA). He stated that this new development is “quite interesting compared to other current techniques in this field.”
Can the new contact lens detect and even potentially cure cancer?
However, so far, this invention has only been tested in laboratory cells. Once proven safe, it will be tested on humans.
Essentially, the contact lens can detect exosomes present in tears. Exosomes are considered indicators of tumor development somewhere in the body.
The lenses are equipped with an antibody that can detect and bind to another antibody found on the exosomes. When these two antibodies combine, they turn red.
This red color indicates the presence of tumor cells. The results are so pronounced that they can even be seen with the naked eye.
A Quick and Convenient Method
Needless to say, this technique offers numerous advantages. While standard blood tests, biopsies, or CT scans can take days or even weeks to provide a diagnosis, the contact lenses yield results in just 30 minutes.
The process is also painless as it does not require any surgery.
A Promising Device
Zhu and his team are currently conducting a trial study on rabbits. New experiments may prove the safety of the contact lenses and allow them to be approved for human testing.
If everything goes according to plan, the research team hopes the contact lenses will not only be limited to cancer testing but will extend further, such as diagnosing certain autoimmune diseases. One day, they may even be used to deliver medication as a treatment method rather than just a diagnostic tool.
