Researchers Find a Way to Diagnose Cancer and Other Diseases using a Single Drop of Blood

A way to quickly diagnose cancer and other health problems with the help of blood spectroscopy was discovered by scientists from Samara University and their colleagues from Samara State Medical University. The new method will help buy time and promptly send the patient to an appropriate specialist for treatment. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.

According to the research team, Raman spectroscopy of blood allows to take fluid biopsy in minutes. Unlike laboratory techniques that take hours, this method analyzes the composition of blood in real time mode.

This procedure can be performed using the optical technology, where light exchanges energy with molecules of the analyte, experts said. This approach allows for the identification of specific types of molecules and their concentration in blood, which facilitates precise diagnostic.

“Light can interact with biological molecules - building blocks of our body. If we understand this process of interaction, we will need just a drop of blood to track how the composition of the body changes and whether any health problems are developing. Moreover, such test can be performed in minutes,” said Ivan Bratchenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Laser and Biotechnical Systems, Samara University.

Fotonika Research Laboratory (NIL-96).

Photo: Anna Linnik

Researchers all over the world are currently working on achieving higher precision and versatility of diagnostics, he added. The new proposed method, although inferior in accuracy to the approaches currently used in laboratories, can be carried out on portable equipment.

According to the authors of the study, implementation of the fluid biopsy method using portable equipment will lower the cost of bloodwork tests. Researchers have proposed the best option for mathematical processing of spectral indicators. These methods are suitable for data with high level of noise that is characteristic of the use of portable equipment.

Experimental device for blood spectroscopy at NIL-96

Photo: Yegor Sizov

“The obtained results can be used during mass screening examinations. The fluid biopsy can help quickly identify people who are with sings of pathological condition and advise the appropriate specialist for them. It also allows for monitoring of patients who are already undergoing treatment. If the patient’s condition improves or worsens, the fluid biopsy will show in patient’s blood test”, Ivan Bratchenko said.

The development of the proposed device to the version that could be used in clinics requires coordinated efforts of physicists, chemists, mathematicians, engineers, and doctors. In the future, scientists plan to improve the testing method and conduct extensive clinical trials of the method on various patient groups.

Ivan Bratchenko working with the blood spectroscopy device.

Photo: Anastasiya Korotkova