Expression of the sAXL protein in pancreatic tumors. / IIBB-CSIC
A team from the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), the Barcelona Institute for Biomedical Research (IIBB-CSIC) and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute (HMRIB) has developed a test that can detect pancreatic cancer in minutes by analysing a blood sample on a test strip. The prototype proof of concept was developed using samples from 20 patients and 20 healthy individuals at Hospital del Mar. This is the first trial of this diagnostic test, which identifies in blood plasma a protein (sAXL) that acts as a biomarker of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common and lethal form of pancreatic cancer. The results reveal a simple, portable and low-cost method that will need to be optimised before clinical application.
The device developed uses technology similar to rapid tests, based on test strips capable of analysing a blood plasma sample in just a few minutes. By optimising different components to improve sensitivity, reproducibility and signal clarity, the test was able to distinguish accurately between patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy individuals. These results, published in the journal Talanta, were obtained after analysing samples from 20 patients and 20 healthy participants from Hospital del Mar in Barcelona. "This is the first application of a quantitative lateral flow immunoassay -a diagnostic technique that measures the concentration of a substance in a liquid sample- to detect sAXL in plasma," says Juan Pablo Salvador, a researcher in the Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics group at IQAC-CSIC and an author of the study.
The assay demonstrates the capacity of the new method to identify the presence of the sAXL protein in blood using antibodies in a rapid and simple format. This protein is located on the surface of cells and is part of the normal functioning of the body, but it is overexpressed in certain types of cancer: in the case of the pancreas, it appears at abnormally high levels in more than 70% of tumours. "A few years ago, we showed that the presence of this soluble protein in blood (sAXL) is a marker of patients who have already developed the tumour," explains Pilar Navarro, coordinator of New Cancer Molecular Targets, at IIBB-CSIC and HMRIB.
The research team validated the measurements obtained against standard techniques such as ELISA, a reference diagnostic modality in specialised laboratories and hospitals that quantifies the presence of the protein. "This comparison allowed us to confirm the diagnostic relevance of the method," adds Navarro.
The work represents a promising advance for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which is the third leading cause of cancer death in developed countries. This is partly because this type of tumour is difficult to detect in its early stages, meaning that more than 85% of diagnoses are made when surgery is no longer possible, that is, when the only curative option currently available can no longer be used. "Having rapid, accessible and minimally invasive tools to improve early detection represents an urgent clinical need," the researchers emphasise.
Advantages over other diagnostic methods
The technology offers important advantages over other conventional diagnostic methods: it requires minimal equipment, reduces analysis times and could be easily adapted to clinical settings with limited resources or to decentralised testing at the point of care (point-of-care testing), facilitating a more accessible diagnosis.
In this regard, Pilar Navarro notes that "the tool developed aims to bring pancreatic cancer detection closer to routine clinical practice and help improve patient survival through early diagnosis". Núria Vázquez-Bellón, first author of the paper, adds that "this is a promising first step, although the system will still need to be optimised before its possible clinical application".
An interdisciplinary collaboration
The study is the result of a collaboration driven by the BBQ-CSIC 2022 seed funding programme and, in the words of Pablo García de Frutos, coordinator of the Haemostasis and Immunity group at IIBB: "This work exemplifies the value of CSIC seed grants in promoting interdisciplinary research with translational potential". It also received funding from the Carlos III Health Institute and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. It has also received support from the Pancreatic Cancer Patients Association (ACANPAN), which contributed to the funding of the project and helped reinforce its focus on patients' real needs.
The participating researchers are also affiliated with the Biomedical Research Networking Centres (CIBER) for Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBER-CV) and Liver and Digestive Diseases (CIBER-EHD), and with the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS). Clinical researchers from HMRIB specialising in pancreatic cancer and digestive diseases also participated in this collaborative project.
"Future studies will focus on expanding the number of patients analysed and further improving the sensitivity of the system in order to move towards its possible clinical application," the researchers conclude.
Núria Vázquez-Bellón, Montserrat Rodríguez-Núñez, Neus Martínez-Bosch, Luis E. Barranco, Laura Visa, Pablo García de Frutos, M. Pilar Marco, Pilar Navarro, J. Pablo Salvador. Lateral flow immunoassay detection of soluble AXL for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma diagnosis. Talanta. DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2026.129973
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