Researchers validated protein biomarkers, putting them one step closer to a point-of-care cervical cancer screening test.

university of Florida (UF) News
By Leah Buletti 

Gainesville, Florida — Researchers are one step closer to developing a simple, at-home test to prevent cervical cancer or treat it early, a new study from University of Florida Health Cancer Center and Purdue University researchers has found. 

“Our results pave the way for us to develop inexpensive, fast and accurate preliminary screening tests for cervical cancer,” said Sulma Mohammed, D.V.M., Ph.D., the study’s senior author. “This test has the potential to transform early-stage cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in areas with limited access to health care.” 

Cervical cancer is the world’s fourth most common cancer in women. When it’s found early, it’s one of the most preventable and treatable cancers. The main screening method is an in-person Pap smear. The FDA recently approved the first at-home self-collection device, which screens for HPV, the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers.

Still, these methods can be expensive, time-consuming and not always available. A new method based on measuring cellular proteins could reduce the need for expensive laboratory equipment and training. 

In the new National Cancer Institute-funded study, researchers validated four proteins that were more abundant in swabs from women with high-grade precancerous lesions and tissue samples from patients. 

They found the proteins could be used as sensitive and specific biomarkers to indicate precancerous lesions and to distinguish subtypes of cervical cancer. Precancerous lesions can usually be successfully treated, preventing cancer from developing. Knowing the subtype tells health care providers how aggressive or fast-moving the cancer is, helping them develop a treatment plan.

Next, the researchers plan to develop a standardized way to collect and process cervical cancer samples, paving the way for a point-of-care test. Point-of-care tests are portable tests that can be done in more convenient settings than a traditional medical laboratory, and they’re usually faster. 

“This test would provide an affordable and scalable solution for improving cervical cancer prevention throughout the world,” said Mohammed, co-leader of the UF Health Cancer Center’s Cancer Control and Population Sciences research program.

The study was featured on the cover of the June edition of the journal Cancers. Mohammed, a professor in the UF College of Veterinary Medicine’s small animal clinical sciences department, collaborated with researchers at Purdue University, where she worked before joining UF last year.