Google's research division plans to revolutionize the diagnosis of cancer at an early stage, as well as the warning of possible strokes or heart attacks and other serious health threats, by creating a "gadget" that will use nanoparticle technology and a special "pill" that the user will swallow.
The system will record subtle changes in the biochemical components of the blood and body, which warn of impending health problems.
Early diagnosis is key to addressing serious risks, such as pancreatic cancer, which, when detected early, is incurable with current technology.
At the same time, it can lead to a huge reduction in health spending for insurance funds, insurance companies, and the citizens themselves who are called upon to deal with these diseases.
The head of this effort, which is in its early stages and is being implemented by Google X, is Dr. Andrew Conrad, a molecular biologist who already has the "palm tree" of creating a cheap test for the AIDS virus that is now widely used.
The system categorizes groups of nanoparticles that are markers for different diseases, both for diagnosis and for potential targeted treatment in early stages.
After "performing their mission," the nanoparticles could be recalled to a specific spot on the body (as they are magnetic). This spot, Mr. Conrad tells the BBC, could be the wrist, where the "bracelet" would record their findings inside the body.
Nanoparticles that have encountered problematic cells or tissues will behave differently in a magnetic field than those that have not detected a problem, he said. Ultimately, the "bracelet" could record signals from the nanoparticles several times a day.
The head of the British Institute for Cancer Research, Professor Paul Workman, stressed, in the same source, that "there is an urgent need for something like this. With early diagnosis we can intervene early, either with lifestyle changes or with treatment. How much of this proposal is reality or dream is impossible to say now, it is a charming plan that needs to be put into practice.
For now, the diagnostic “bracelet” is not planned to be released to the consumer market, but to be a medical tool. As Mr. Conrad says, “it is not a consumer device. It is a prescription medical device. The patient-doctor relationship is very privileged and will not involve Google in any way.”.
Source: imerisia.gr
