How Are IISc Bangalore Researchers Revolutionizing Liver Cancer Detection?

New Delhi, June 30 (NationPress) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have engineered a cost-effective sensor capable of enabling rapid detection of liver cancer. The team harnessed the properties of terbium, a rare earth metal, to create a distinctive luminescent probe that detects an enzyme known as beta-glucuronidase.

This enzyme not only breaks down a sugar acid called glucuronic acid but also serves as a vital biomarker for liver cancer. Elevated levels of beta-glucuronidase have been linked to the risk of various cancers, including colon, breast, and renal cancers, as well as urinary tract infections and AIDS.

Consequently, this innovative sensor has the potential to serve as an effective screening tool against multiple cancer types, neonatal jaundice, and NSAID-induced toxicity, according to the researchers.

“Traditional methods of colorimetry and fluorescence for detecting such enzymes often face limitations due to sensitivity and interference from background signals. The properties of rare earth metals, which have long-lived excited states, allow us to filter out brief background fluorescence, leading to a clearer signal,” stated Ananya Biswas, a former PhD student at IISc and co-first author of the paper published in the journal Chemistry.

The research began with exploring the gel-forming characteristics of metal ions. The IISc team found that when terbium ions were integrated into a gel matrix derived from bile salts, they emitted a striking green glow.

The researchers then introduced a molecule called 2,3-DHN (2,3-Dihydroxynaphthalene) masked with glucuronic acid. In the presence of beta-glucuronidase, terbium ions break this mask, releasing 2,3-DHN, which acts as an “antenna” that absorbs UV light. This process transfers energy to nearby terbium ions, amplifying the green fluorescence, explained Uday Maitra, Professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry at IISc.

To enhance accessibility, the team embedded the gel matrix onto paper discs, resulting in a straightforward and portable sensor. When exposed to samples containing beta-glucuronidase, these discs emitted a pronounced green glow under UV light.

The sensors could also be analyzed using a UV lamp and ImageJ—an open-source, freely available software—making this technique ideal for settings with limited resources, the team noted.

The sensor demonstrated a detection limit significantly lower than the typical beta-glucuronidase levels associated with cirrhosis, a severe stage of liver disease. Although further clinical studies are required to confirm these findings, researchers believe such sensors could significantly reduce the costs of detecting clinically relevant biomarkers.