New nose cancer test kit promises to simplify the process and speed cancer testing

Apr 12 2004

Inflexion a Singapore based offshoot of Nanyang Technological University has announced a new kit to test for and diagnose nose cancer. The kit was prepared some 3 years ago and had been forgotten until 3 young entrepreneurs realised it's commercial potential.

The kit, which makes use of several chemicals and requires a single drop of blood for a test, will be marketed across the globe by Inflexion, set up last year.

Detecting nose cancer normally involves a specialist guiding a flexible scope inside a patient's nasal passages.

This alternative method is a blood test which checks for the level of the antibody to the Epstein-Barr virus. About 90 per cent of patients with nose cancer tend to have higher levels of it.

This test takes several days and needs a skilled technician to culture the blood cells, process them and read the results.

The Inflexion kit promises to do the job as effectively, but faster and more easily.

Technicians just follow the step-by-step instructions to add several chemicals to the patient's drop of blood, and pop the vial into a special machine that reads the results within hours.

The key is the layer of proteins at the bottom of each tiny vial. NTU researchers came up with the protein combination, which attracts and pastes the antibodies to the bottom of the vial.

It should cost about $30 for a patient to be tested.