3D Hydrogel Biochips Help Detect Bowel Cancer

A novel three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel-based biochip containing molecular probes can help detect serological signatures in the sera of colorectal cancer (CC) patients.

Developed by researchers at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT; Russia), the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology (EIMB; Moscow, Russia), and a number of other Russian research centers, the glycochip contains an array of hemispherical hydrogel cells containing immobilized proteins and oligosaccharides that can help detect tumor-associated glycans.


Besides detecting a range of antibodies against glycans (SiaTn, Tn, TF, LeC, LeY, SiaLeA, and Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ), the glycochip also contains antibodies against human immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM). The simultaneous measurement of the levels of immunoglobulins in sera enhances the diagnostic impact of the signatures. To test the glycochips, the researchers studied 69 sera samples from healthy donors, 33 from patients with CC, and 27 from patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

The results showed that the positive predictive value of the test system, based on the diagnostic signatures, allowed it to diagnose CC in 95% of the cases, compared to around 79% detected by traditional methods. The sensitivity of detection (in patients with Stage II-IV CC) was 87%, compared to just 21% by traditional methods. The specificity of the method was 97%. The study was published on March 19, 2016, in Cancer Medicine.

“The method developed at EIMB RAS has great potential to be used in diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases,” said study co-author Zhanna Zubtsova, PhD, an assistant professor in the physics department at MIPT. “We hope that testing systems based on the method will soon appear in clinical laboratories in Russia.”

Glycans are biopolymers consisting of a large number of monosaccharides linked by oxygen atoms. Besides acting as nutrients and building materials for cells, glycans are important for the contact between cells, appropriate organ growth, and much more. Tumor cells hold special glycans that help differentiate them from healthy cells, a key aspect of the new study.

Related Links:
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology