DNA-based nanosensor ‘offers cancer therapy applications’

Bioengineers have been able to create a patented DNA-based nanosensor with potential applications in the treatment, diagnosis and imaging of cancer.

Created by the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Montreal, the sensor measures pH variations at the nanoscale, making it easier to detect the specific pH patterns associated with cancer cells.

The nanosensor can also be programmed to fluoresce only at specific pH values, making it ideal for detecting and visibly reacting to chemical changes caused by cancer cells.

Moreover, it is hoped that in future, scientists will be able to develop novel drug delivery platforms that release chemotherapeutic drugs in the vicinity of tumour cells through the use of this technology.

Senior author Professor Francesco Ricci said: "Developing sensors or nanomachines that can measure pH changes at this scale should prove of utility for several applications in the fields of in vivo imaging, clinical diagnostics and drug delivery."

In the UK, 50 percent of people diagnosed with cancer currently go on to survive for more than ten years, but more research is needed to increase this percentage further.