Pioneering method detects oral cancer earlier
The potential of nano technologies and artificial intelligence has been outlined.
The potential of nano technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect oral cancer earlier and more accurately have been outlined in a study by researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealan.
Researchers from the Faculty of Dentistry combined atomic force microscopy (AFM) with AI to detect changes in cancer cells at a very small scale.
Senior author Associate Professor Peter Mei said the pioneering method represents a substantial advance in cancer diagnostics.
“Combining the two technologies enabled us to detect nanoscale changes on the surface of cancer cells that may not be visible using traditional methods,” he said.
“This enhances the accuracy and reliability of cancer diagnosis, potentially enabling earlier detection, which is critical for improving patient treatment outcomes and advancing precision medicine.”
The researchers said the study, published in the journal ACS Nano, was driven by the crucial need to find better, more reliable ways to detect cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund reported around 390,000 new cases of mouth and oral cancer globally, resulting in more than 188,000 deaths, in 2022.
Lead author Dr Simon Guan said he hopes to see more widespread use of this diagnostic method, which could become a key tool for doctors in the future. “We would like to see efforts to make AFM technology more suitable for routine clinical testing.
“We hope it will lead to quicker, more accurate cancer diagnoses for a variety of cancers and better treatment options for patients. Furthermore, our findings may pave the way for a new cancer therapy based on the nanophysical properties of cancer cells.”
Publication details:
Atomic Force Microscopy for Revealing Oncological Nanomechanobiology and Thermodynamics
Guangzhao Guan, Dawn E. Coates, Qing Sun, Richard D. Cannon, and Li Mei
ACS Nano
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c14837