title: Use of nanotechnology for the development of novel cancer biomarkers.
abstract: Novel nanotechnologies can complement and augment existing genomic and proteomic techniques employed to analyze variations across different tumor types, thus offering the potential to distinguish between normal and malignant cells. Sensitive biosensors constructed out of nanoscale components (e.g., nanocantilevers, nanowires and nanochannels) can recognize genetic and molecular events and have reporting capabilities, thereby offering the potential to detect rare molecular signals associated with malignancy. Such signals may then be collected for analysis by nanoscale harvesters that selectively isolate cancer-related molecules from tissues. Another area with near-term potential for the early detection of cancer is the identification of mutations and genomic instability.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Department of Biological Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Mathematics, Sciences, Technology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Elizabeth City, NC 27909, USA. bhirendranath@mail.ecsu.edu
authors.forename: Hirendra Nath
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Mukesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor