A simple urine test could detect a deadly brain tumor that can kill within 12 months, according to a new study by scientists at Nagoya University in Japan. Researchers used nanowires in urine to capture cancer DNA, which could be administered during routine check-ups to detect the cancer even in its earliest stages. The inventors believe the same technique could be used to detect early signs of other hard-to-spot cancers as well. 

Glioma tumors in the brain have a survival rate of 12-18 months when advanced, but the new test could give patients vital extra time. Brain cancers are often detected late and are difficult to remove using surgery. Most sufferers aren’t aware of a glioma—a brain tumor, until they get symptoms such as paralysis of the limbs. 

The test works by capturing small DNA particles released by brain tumors as they grow, which are excreted in urine. The team used a catch-and-release method on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire surfaces to capture these particles. ZnO was chosen because water molecules adsorb on the surface of ZnO nanowires, which then form hydrogen bonds with any cfDNA in the urine sample. The bonded cfDNA can then be washed out, allowing researchers to isolate trace amounts of it in a sample.

Professor Takao Yasui, a member of the research group, said, “Although we tested gliomas, this method opens new possibilities for the detection of tumor mutations. If we know the type of mutation to look for, we can easily apply our technique to detect other types of tumors, especially the detection of those that cannot be isolated by conventional methods.” The test has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for cancer screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of cancer progression and treatment response.