Researchers are Using Urine Tests to Find Brain Tumors

According to a recent Medgadget article, researchers at Japan’s Nagoya University have developed a urine test for brain tumors. It uses a nanowire assay that can detect specific extracellular vesicles in the urine that indicate the presence of a brain tumor, helping to improve treatment outcomes and allowing for earlier, non-invasive detection of brain tumors. The technique uses a simple well plate that has been coated with zinc oxide nanowires that extracellular vesicles are attracted to because of their surface electrical charge, and then fluorescently-labeled antibodies detect tumor-specific extracellular vesicles in each well.