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a urine-based diagnostic kit for bladder cancer that can be used at home.

Bladder cancer has a cure rate of over 90% when detected early, but it has a high recurrence rate of 70%, necessitating continuous monitoring. Late detection often requires major surgeries such as bladder removal followed by artificial bladder implantation or the use of a urine pouch, significantly lowering the patient鈥檚 quality of life.

However, existing urine test kits have low sensitivity, and cystoscopy, which involves inserting a catheter into the urethra for internal bladder examination, is both painful and burdensome. This highlights the urgent need for a simple yet accurate diagnostic technology for patients.

A research team led by Dr Youngdo Jeong of the at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), in collaboration with Professor Seok-Ho Kang鈥檚 team from the Department of Urology, Korea University College of Medicine, has developed a kit that can accurately detect bladder cancer biomarkers without any preprocessing of urine samples.

The research team designed an innovative diagnostic kit by utilising the principle of water and oil layering to detect bladder cancer biomarkers. Biomarker detection in urine has been challenging due to the low concentration of biomarkers and interference from impurities like hematuria. The newly developed kit overcomes these issues by employing a mechanism where a film bonded to the biomarker is broken, releasing a buoyant signal carrier that moves to the oil layer and emits a detectable signal. This design prevents interference from impurities like hematuria and amplifies the signal, enabling precise biomarker detection.

In clinical trials conducted with 80 patients and 25 healthy individuals at Korea University鈥檚 Department of Urology using a double-blind methodology, the diagnostic kit achieved a sensitivity of 88.8%. This is a significant improvement compared to the mere 20% sensitivity of existing commercial tests. Notably, while conventional methods are almost incapable of diagnosing early-stage bladder cancer, the new kit accurately detects even early-stage cases.

This diagnostic kit offers a revolutionary approach for the early detection of bladder cancer through non-invasive and simple urine tests. It is expected to reduce the need for unnecessary cystoscopy, improve survival rates through early detection, and enhance patients鈥� quality of life. Building on these results, the research team aims to develop products for mass and rapid use in comprehensive medical examination centres and easy application at home.

鈥淭his study demonstrates the potential for early bladder cancer diagnosis using a simple diagnostic kit, reducing the need for unnecessary cystoscopies,鈥� Jeong said.

Kang added, 鈥淭his research, a result of translational studies between KIST and Korea University, paves the way for early diagnostic technologies for various diseases beyond bladder cancer.鈥�

Notably, Jeong and Kang, in collaboration with Dong Jin Lee of the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, plan to establish a startup, 鈥楩loatBioscience鈥�, focusing on the commercialisation of this bladder cancer diagnostic kit, which allows for uniform mass production.

Image caption: The kit includes a container with a film, a compact optical device for attaching a smartphone, and a diagnostic app. Image credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology.