Cancer physics: diagnostics based on damped cellular elastoelectrical vibrations in microtubules

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Oncology
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Cancer is linked to mitochondrial malfunction, specifically the Warburg effect, which disrupts cellular physical mechanisms.
• This malfunction leads to decreased energy conversion, increased energy efflux, and altered cellular properties.
• Key changes include a diminished proton space charge layer and reduced static electric field around the outer mitochondrial membrane.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a proposed biophysical mechanism for a novel cancer diagnostic method.
• To explain how electromagnetic wave absorption by tumors can be used for detection.
• To elucidate the physical basis for differentiating cancerous from healthy tissue.

Main Methods:

• The diagnostic method relies on frequency selective absorption of electromagnetic waves by malignant tumors.
• It utilizes a nonlinear microwave oscillator as the core diagnostic device.
• The device is coupled to investigated tissue via the near-field to measure signal amplitude.

Main Results:

• Mitochondrial malfunction in cancer cells lowers the ordering level of cellular water.
• It also increases damping of microtubule-based cellular elastoelectrical vibration states.
• A dip in the signal amplitude of the microwave oscillator is observed when coupled to cancerous tissue, but not healthy tissue.

Conclusions:

• The observed signal dip is a direct consequence of the biophysical changes in cancer cells.
• This phenomenon provides a basis for a novel, non-invasive cancer diagnostic method.
• The method leverages the distinct physical properties of malignant tumors for detection.