University of Houston researcher on new cancer-fighting method: 'It will actively search for circulating tumor cells in the blood'

A team of researchers at the University of Houston have been developing a new way to locate tumor cells in the blood that could replace imaging and biopsies, according to a report from Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.

The station reported that the method's success will be determined by trials conducted at M.D. Anderson. Dr. Shaun Zhang, an M.D. Anderson professor who heads UH's Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, told KHOU that "a really sensitive method" is needed to find elusive tumor cells.

The station reported that the researchers used virus-like particles to make a probe that searches for circulating tumor cells.

"We designed it such that it will actively search for circulating tumor cells in the blood," Zhang said, according to KHOU.

The probe can determine if those cells are alive aside from finding them, which Zhang compares to "a needle in a haystack."

KHOU reported that the method could benefit both patients and physicians as it can quickly determine the effectiveness of a treatment, as well as help cancer survivors get a few steps ahead of a recurring illness.

"Our method through annual checks once every half year could collect blood and we search for live circulating tumor cells," Zhang told the station.

According to the researchers, their work has been going on for two years. KHOU reported that UH is seeking a patent for the probe.