Hope for new ovarian test
Tuesday March 11th, 2014
Danish researchers have developed a powerful new test for ovarian cancer.
They
hope the new test could spare women the misery of having to undergo a
series of tests to know if they have the cancer or not.
The researchers say their test, based on detecting a particular kind of sugar, could replace the existing blood test, which gives 94 wrong results for every six cases of cancer it detects.
The researchers at Copenhagen University have been working with a team at University College, London, on the project.
The existing test identifies the CA125 protein, which is released by a range of conditions - but the researchers say they have identified a sugar coating on the protein only present when there is cancer.
The findings have been reported in the Journal of Proteome Research - although the researchers say they will share their work with anyone who can turn it into a clinical test.
Researcher Professor Ola Blixt said: “All proteins have a type of sugar-coat – small, complicated sugar molecules that reside on a protein’s surface. When cancer is present in the body, we can observe a chemical change in this sugar-coat. It is a very complex phenomenon.
Luckily, it is very simple to investigate and determine the presence of this transformed sugar coating.”
Professor Blixt added: “We have decided to publish these results, as opposed to taking out a patent. OK, we won’t get rich, even though the market related to ovarian cancer is worth 170 million dollars annually.
"On the other hand, any manufacturer is able to include this in their existing kit. And I hope that it happens soon."
Microarray Glycoprofiling of CA125 Improves Differential Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer J. Proteome Res. 2013, 12, 1408-1418; doi:10.1021/pr3010474
Tags: Cancer | Europe | Pharmaceuticals | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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