Tens of millions of nanoneedles could replace painful cancer biopsies

(Press-News.org) A patch containing tens of millions of microscopic nanoneedles could soon replace traditional biopsies, scientists have found.

The patch offers a painless and less invasive alternative for millions of patients worldwide who undergo biopsies each year to detect and monitor diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Biopsies are among the most common diagnostic procedures worldwide, performed millions of times every year to detect diseases. However, they are invasive, can cause pain and complications, and can deter patients from seeking early diagnosis or follow-up tests. Traditional biopsies also remove small pieces of tissue, limiting how often and how comprehensively doctors can analyse diseased organs like the brain.

Now, scientists at King’s College London have developed a nanoneedle patch that painlessly collects molecular information from tissues without removing or damaging them. This could allow healthcare teams to monitor disease in real time and perform multiple, repeatable tests from the same area – something impossible with standard biopsies.

Because the nanoneedles are 1,000 times thinner than a human hair and do not remove tissue, they cause no pain or damage, making the process less painful for patients compared to standard biopsies. For many, this could mean earlier diagnosis and more regular monitoring, transforming how diseases are tracked and treated.

Dr Ciro Chiappini, who led the research published today in Nature Nanotechnology, said: “We have been working on nanoneedles for twelve years, but this is our most exciting development yet. It opens a world of possibilities for people with brain cancer, Alzheimer’s, and for advancing personalised medicine. It will allow scientists – and eventually clinicians – to study disease in real time like never before.”

The patch is covered in tens of millions of nanoneedles. In preclinical studies, the team applied the patch to brain cancer tissue taken from human biopsies and mouse models. The nanoneedles extracted molecular ‘fingerprints’ — including lipids, proteins, and mRNAs — from cells, without removing or harming the tissue.

The tissue imprint is then analysed using mass spectrometry and artificial intelligence, giving healthcare teams detailed insights into whether a tumour is present, how it is responding to treatment, and how disease is progressing at the cellular level.

Dr Chiappini said: “This approach provides multidimensional molecular information from different types of cells within the same tissue. Traditional biopsies simply cannot do that. And because the process does not destroy the tissue, we can sample the same tissue multiple times, which was previously impossible.”

This technology could be used during brain surgery to help surgeons make faster, more precise decisions. For example, by applying the patch to a suspicious area, results could be obtained within 20 minutes and guide real-time decisions about removing cancerous tissue.

Made using the same manufacturing techniques as computer chips, the nanoneedles can be integrated into common medical devices such as bandages, endoscopes and contact lenses.

Dr Chippani added: “This could be the beginning of the end for painful biopsies. Our technology opens up new ways to diagnose and monitor disease safely and painlessly – helping doctors and patients make better, faster decisions.”

The breakthrough was possible through close collaboration across nanoengineering, clinical oncology, cell biology, and artificial intelligence—each field bringing essential tools and perspectives that, together, unlocked a new approach to non-invasive diagnostics.

The study was supported by the European Research Council through its flagship Starting Grant programme, Wellcome Leap, and UKRI’s EPSRC and MRC, which enabled acquisition of key analytical instrumentation.

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