Artificially Intelligent Nanoarray Detects Various Cancers by Liquid Biopsy of Volatile Markers

Abstract

Cancer is usually not symptomatic in its early stages. However, early detection can vastly improve prognosis. Liquid biopsy holds great promise for early detection, although it still suffers from many disadvantages, mainly searching for specific cancer biomarkers. Here, a new approach for liquid biopsies is proposed, based on volatile organic compound (VOC) patterns in the blood headspace. An artificial intelligence nanoarray based on a varied set of chemi‐sensitive nano‐based structured films is developed and used to detect and stage cancer. As a proof‐of‐concept, three cancer models are tested showing high incidence and mortality rates in the population: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer. The nanoarray has >84% accuracy, >81% sensitivity, and >80% specificity for early detection and >97% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and >88% specificity for metastasis detection. Complementary mass spectrometry analysis validates these results. The ability to analyze such a complex biological fluid as blood, while considering data of many VOCs at a time using the artificially intelligent nanoarray, increases the sensitivity of predictive models and leads to a potential efficient early diagnosis and disease‐monitoring tool for cancer.

Recent Advances in Methods for Circulating Tumor Cell Detection

“…Specific VOCs associated with single cancer cells are then analyzed via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry [ 125 ]. Experiments on mouse models showed that the nanoarray achieved over 81% sensitivity and 80% specificity for the early detection of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer xenografts, as well as 100% sensitivity and over 88% specificity for detecting metastasis [ 126 ].…”

Liquid Biopsy-Based Volatile Organic Compounds from Blood and Urine and Their Combined Data Sets for Highly Accurate Detection of Cancer

“…15 It showed >84 and 97% accuracy in the early detection of a range of cancers and metastases, respectively. 16 While these results prove the feasibility of a fast, easy-to-use, and inexpensive tool for the noninvasive diagnosis of cancer via VOC-based liquid biopsy, higher accuracies should lead to more efficient diagnosis and monitoring and thus to higher survival rates. 30−32 The poor spectrum of VOCs emitted from singlebody fluids was identified as one of the major reasons for this obstacle.…”

“…Our technique offers a holistic method to both recognize and quantify cancer cells in liquid biopsies, in addition to understanding the reactions of the body to the cancer cells. 15,16 The rationale behind the reported approach is based on profiling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of blood headspace (i.e., air trapped above the samples) that are linked to distinct changes in cancer biochemistry via oxidative stress, cytochrome p450, liver enzymes, carbohydrate metabolism, and/or lipid metabolism. 15−29 This approach has given accuracies of 90% in in vitro studies of lung cancer.…”

“…Our technique offers a holistic method to both recognize and quantify cancer cells in liquid biopsies, in addition to understanding the reactions of the body to the cancer cells. , The rationale behind the reported approach is based on profiling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of blood headspace (i.e., air trapped above the samples) that are linked to distinct changes in cancer biochemistry via oxidative stress, cytochrome p450, liver enzymes, carbohydrate metabolism, and/or lipid metabolism. − This approach has given accuracies of 90% in in vitro studies of lung cancer . It showed >84 and 97% accuracy in the early detection of a range of cancers and metastases, respectively . While these results prove the feasibility of a fast, easy-to-use, and inexpensive tool for the noninvasive diagnosis of cancer via VOC-based liquid biopsy, higher accuracies should lead to more efficient diagnosis and monitoring and thus to higher survival rates. − The poor spectrum of VOCs emitted from single-body fluids was identified as one of the major reasons for this obstacle.…”

“…To meet these challenges, we have recently introduced a new approach to face the difficulties posed by diagnosing cancer without causing harm or taking unnecessary risks. Our technique offers a holistic method to both recognize and quantify cancer cells in liquid biopsies, in addition to understanding the reactions of the body to the cancer cells. , The rationale behind the reported approach is based on profiling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of blood headspace (i.e., air trapped above the samples) that are linked to distinct changes in cancer biochemistry via oxidative stress, cytochrome p450, liver enzymes, carbohydrate metabolism, and/or lipid metabolism. − This approach has given accuracies of 90% in in vitro studies of lung cancer . It showed >84 and 97% accuracy in the early detection of a range of cancers and metastases, respectively .…”