Cancer Detection at your Fingertips: Smartphone-Enabled DNA Testing.

Area of Science:

• Biomarker Discovery
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Point-of-Care Technology

Background:

• High molecular weight cell-free DNA (hmw cfDNA) in blood shows promise as a cancer biomarker.
• Quantifying hmw cfDNA is challenging due to abundant background apoptotic cfDNA, making current methods complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel technology for direct isolation of hmw cfDNA from blood.
• To integrate this technology into a portable, smartphone-enabled device for in vitro diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Alternating Current Electrokinetics (ACE) for selective isolation of hmw cfDNA.
• Developed a handheld device integrating ACE with smartphone capabilities for power, control, detection, and data transmission.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated the detection of hmw cfDNA in blood plasma using the developed device.
• Validated the performance of the integrated ACE technology and smartphone platform.

Conclusions:

• The novel ACE technology offers a viable solution for overcoming challenges in hmw cfDNA quantification.
• The developed handheld device represents a significant advancement towards point-of-care cancer biomarker diagnostics.