Team:LIKA-CESAR-Brasil/Project

OVERVIEW

The problem of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer among the women worldwide, both in developing as well as developed countries. Most deaths from this disease occur in low and middle income, because the patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease (WHO, 2014). According to the INCA (National Cancer Institute – Brazilian Cancer Institute) 57 120 new cases of breast cancer are expected in 2014, these grow in the global statistical data for 500 000 cases (WHO, 2014). The incidence of breast cancer is steadily growing in the developing world due to increased life expectancy, increased urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles. Despite some reduction in risk can be achieved with prevention, these strategies cannot eliminate the majority of breast cancers that develop in countries of low and middle income, where breast cancer is diagnosed in very late stages. Therefore, early detection in order to improve the outcome of breast cancer survival and remains the best solution for the control of this neoplasm. Overall, 89% of breast cancers are diagnosed from age 40 onwards. Breast cancers that develop at a younger age are usually larger, less differentiated and more likely to metastasize.

Integrated technologies for diagnosis

Early detection is the best solution to control and effective treatment of this disease. Among the tools of molecular diagnostics, biosensors appear as promising technology. Bioanalytical Systems, such as biosensors, propose a technology able to diagnose various infectious and genetic diseases. A biosensor is a device that incorporates a biological recognition element with a physical transudor to generate a measurable signal proportional to the analyte concentration. Gensensors are commonly used to detect specific sequences of DNA, RNA or PNA, where the target gene sequence is identified by a single-stranded oligonucleotide immobilized on a transducer surface to form a hybrid. Then, hybridization is converted into an analytic signal by a transducer. Among the types of transducers, the electrochemical stand out because they provide a rapid, sensitive response analysis with simple and relatively low cost. Within the field of electrochemical biosensors, are needed two requirements: Samples of DNA and RNA extracted from the blood and electronics systems able to take readings of electrochemical signals at the level of micro and nano amperes. There is the possibility of automating the analysis of the sample using robotics. Robots are systems composed of automatic and controlled by integrated circuits mechanical parts, making motorized mechanical systems, manually or automatically controlled by electrical circuits. More and more people use the robots for their tasks. In short, robots can control everything. This technology, now adapted by many factories and industries, has gotten a generally successful in issues raised on reducing costs and increasing productivity.

Why not put it all together with Synthetic Biology?

Synthetic biology is a field with enormous then importance and with great social and commercial potential. Has received a lot of attention in the fields such as energy through the production of fuels, the environment in the detection of pollutants, in the industry with the production of chemical compounds such as proteins, in the fields of medicine like a diagnostics and drugs on the and vaccines production. Over the years, see the increasingly need for unity of sciences such as synthetic biology and robotics for advancement in various fields of science. Thus, the aim of our project was to develop an integrated system between sensing, robots and synthetic biology capable to make early diagnosis of breast cancer. Then, we present the ColiAlert for BreastBotCancer.

To this end, the project it was divided into three parts:

• 1. To Build a robot for automated extraction of DNA and RNA from blood samples and capable to make readings of the biosensor.
• 2. Development of a system of Quality Control of Robot based in ColiAlert.
• 3. An electrochemical biosensor for the detection of breast cancer.