Development of a low cost and noninvasive rapid test for the diagnosis of bladder cancer

• Grant number: 20/02015-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Juliane Cristina Borba
• Grantee: Juliane Cristina Borba
• Company: Solve Biotechnology Ltda. - ME
• CNAE: Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• Associated researchers: Regiane de Fátima Travensolo
• Associated research grant: 16/21759-3 - Development of a fast, low cost and non invasive test for bladder cancer diagnostic, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/01616-1 - Development of a low cost and noninvasive rapid test for the diagnosis of Bladder Cancer, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Bladder cancer is a urogenital neoplasia that affects men and women, and only 9,670 new cases per year are diagnosed in Brazil alone. Cystoscopy transurethral is the standard approach in the diagnosis and monitoring of bladder cancer. However, such a procedure is extremely invasive and painful in addition to having a high cost and not guaranteeing all the results of expected success. In addition, in the early stages, the symptoms are not specific to the disease, being similar to other urinary disorders, which hinders the correct diagnosis of the disease and, therefore, in many cases cancer is only discovered when it is already in an advanced stage. Thus, the search for effective diagnostic tests that can assist in the early diagnosis and / or progression of bladder cancer, as well as reducing the need for invasive tests to monitor the disease. In this sense, biological fluids such as urine have a prominent role due mainly to their non-invasive character. This project proposes the development of a quick, simple, low-cost and non-invasive diagnostic kit, aiming to assist the existing conventional methods. With the optimization of a production methodology of colored and functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles, an agglutination test will be carried out to detect different bladder cancer-related biomarkers which are expelled in the urine. (AU)