2013年10月31日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --科学家最近发现了一种特殊的生物标记物使通过呼吸检测肺癌发生的梦想成为可能。这项来自克利夫兰医学研究中心的成果显示当癌细胞进行肿瘤增殖活动时会释放一种特殊的化学信号，而这种信号有可能通过感应器被检测出来。科学家测试了82名肺癌患者和155名高危人群志愿者，这些受试者都吸入一种化学传感器气体，这种气体可以在检测到特定挥发化学物质时改变颜色。实验结果显示这种方法精确区分了肺癌患者和正常人群。科学家表示这一方法如果成为现实，将大大简化肺癌检测的步骤，对肺癌防控有着极其重要的意义。（生物谷Bioon.com）
详细英文报道：
A biomarker detectable in the breath of lung cancer patients holds promise for an accurate diagnostic, and researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have taken another stride toward making that a reality.
The basic hypothesis is that cancer cells release a unique chemical signature during the tumor-growing process, and researchers believe they can use high-tech sensors to ferret out that biomarker in patients' breath. Now, experts at the Cleveland Clinic are putting that theory to the test and reporting some positive results.
Led by Peter Mazzone, director of the Cleveland Clinic's lung cancer program, researchers brought in 82 patients with biopsy-confirmed lung cancer and another 155 who were either at risk for the disease or had benign lung nodules. Each patient was asked to breathe into a high-dimensional chemical sensor, which changes colors in the presence of certain materials, including the tell-tale signs of lung cancer. In the end, the colorimetric sensor array accurately distinguished between patients with cancer and the control group, lighting the way for broader research into a promising diagnostic.
The study, presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, follows early work by researchers from Israel and the U.S. to identify the trace volatile organic compounds lung cancer leaves in patients' breath. And while the technology will require much follow-up before it can be commercialized, ACCP President-elect Michael Baumann said it presents a meaningful advance in diagnosing a deadly disease.
"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States," Baumann said in a statement. "We welcome the cutting-edge research that can help in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating illness."
