Detect-ION has partnered with Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, US, to introduce breath diagnostics aimed at early lung cancer detection.
Sponsored by Detect-ION, the pilot project introduces non-invasive, rapid, ultra-low-cost, point-of-care (PoC) breath diagnostics for lung cancer diagnosis in its early stages.
The collaboration will utilise Detect-ION's ‘CLARION’ platform, which employs chip-scale mass spectrometry to identify key volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers.
Detect-ION CEO and the pilot study’s principal investigator Ashish Chaudhary said: “Despite the availability of lung cancer screening and next-generation therapies, the five-year survival rate is a dismal 25% and over 120,000 persons die from this disease annually in the US.
“By utilising trace-level chemical signatures to identify VOC biomarkers at parts per trillion concentrations in exhaled breath, Detect-ION is developing a low-cost, patient-friendly, in-home test for diagnosing lung cancer. While it's a complex sensing technology, think of it as quick and easy as blowing up a small balloon.”
By leveraging Detect-ION's CLARION, the study aims to assess the key biomarkers distinguishing lung cancer-positive patients from healthy controls.
The company's vision extends beyond lung cancer, as Detect-ION anticipates that the data from this pilot study will contribute to the early detection and diagnosis of other cancers, including prostate, pancreas, colorectal and liver.
Through the pilot project, Detect-ION is advancing the diagnostic capabilities of PoC mass spectrometry to provide an at-home, self-administered regular testing capability.
Moffitt Cancer Epidemiology Program co-leader and the co-PI of the project Matthew Schabath said: “Since local therapy for early-stage lung cancer is associated with a substantially greater likelihood of cure, our pilot seeks to provide an additional approach for early detection of the disease.
“We will begin with late-stage patients to identify robust VOC biomarkers and if successful, we will conduct a follow-up study on early-stage patients to determine the potential for early detection.”
