News and Analysis

MIT has developed a new technology which, it is suggested, could make it easier to diagnose lung cancer. PATROL, a point-of-care aerosolizable nanosensor with tumor-responsive oligonucleotide barcodes, works by having patients inhale DNA-barcoded nanosensors, they then take a urine test to detect synthetic DNA reporter molecules which indicate the presence of specific lung cancer-related proteins. If successful, PATROL could supplement or replace the current standard for diagnosing lung cancer, a low-dose computed tomography, especially in low- and middle-income countries where such equipment is not always available.