A chemist from Brigham Young University and his students created a new device that could change how doctors detect prostate cancer and kidney disease. Instead of invasive blood draws, the device uses urine.
A tiny tube is lined with DNA sequences that latch onto disease markers in the urine. Urine that flows freely through the tube translates to a clean bill of health. If the urine slows, it signals the presence of prostate cancer or kidney disease.
Currently, the team has only worked with synthetic urine samples, but they will transition to human trials next. The goal is to more accurately test for these diseases and provide patients with faster results. Additionally, this detection method can be adapted for other diseases.
