Inhalable sensors could enable early lung cancer detection

Using a new technology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, diagnosing lung cancer could become as easy as inhaling nanoparticle sensors and then taking a urine test that reveals whether a tumor is present. The technology is based on nanosensors, which can be delivered by an inhaler or a nebulizer. If the nanosensors encounter cancer-linked proteins in the lungs, they produce a signal that accumulates in the urine, where it can be detected with a simple paper test strip.