In the October Issue of Nature Biotechnology, Harvard Universtity researchers report on the use of nanowires in detecting biomarkers for cancer in blood samples. In addition to its accuracy and sensitivity, these special arrays of silicon nanowires also promise to pinpoint the exact type of cancer present with a speed not currently available to clinicians.

"This is one of the first applications of nanotechnology to healthcare and offers a clinical technique that is significantly better than what exists today," says author Charles M. Lieber, Mark Hyman Jr. Professor of chemistry in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "A nanowire array can test a mere pinprick of blood in just minutes, providing a nearly instantaneous scan for many different cancer markers. It's a device that could open up substantial new possibilities in the diagnosis of cancer and other complex diseases."

Read the article abstract here.