The lollipops were developed using a material known as smart hydrogel (Getty-ImageMetaphor)

Scientists at the University of Birmingham in Britain are working on developing flavored lollipops to diagnose oral cancer without the need for painful surgical methods, according to what was published by the British newspaper “The Independent”.

Oral cancer is currently diagnosed by placing a flexible camera at the end of a tube through the mouth or nose and taking a biopsy to test it. This method is considered a painful surgical method that consumes time and effort and requires special skills possessed by endoscopy specialists.

Through the lollipop, scientists hope to be able to provide a faster and gentler alternative that can be used for diagnosis.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham developed the lollipops using a material known as “smart hydrogel”.

Hydrogel is a material consisting of interconnected three-dimensional (3D) polymer networks that can absorb and retain a large amount of water.

The idea of ​​the test is based on the following:

  • Saliva transfers to the hydrogel when the patient sucks on the lollipop.

  • The hydrogel thus forms a fishing net that collects proteins and saliva that can be used as cancer biomarkers.

  • This mesh can be cut later and the proteins in it removed to measure their concentration in the laboratory later.

Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Associate Professor of Biosensors at the University of Birmingham, pointed out that smart hydrogels have amazing capabilities in diagnosing oral cancer. She added that this substance can be formed into a solid that can trap proteins found in saliva.

Dr Ian Fox, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, explained that this project is an amazing first step in a completely new approach to diagnosing oral cancer early.

mouth cancer

Oral cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the tissues lining the mouth, including the cheeks, teeth, gums, and roof of the mouth, as well as the salivary glands, tonsils, and pharynx, according to the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

Cancer occurs when there is a mutation in the genetic material, which leads to the transformation of a normal cell into a cancerous cell that grows and multiplies uncontrollably, and is able to expand and move to other places in what is known as metastatic cancer.

Oral cancer has several types that depend on the type of cells in which the cancer originated, such as:

  • Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of oral cancer, accounting for 9 out of every 10 cases. Epithelial cells are cells that line the mouth.

  • Adenocarcinomas: Cancer of cells found in the salivary glands.

  • Sarcomas: Cancer that occurs in the bones, cartilage, or muscles.

  • Oral malignant melanomas.

  • Lymphomas: Cancer that occurs in the lymph nodes.

Source: Independent + Al Jazeera