Exploration of the cancer screening method analyzing the exhaled breath through the membrane-type surface stress sensor (MSS)

Research Project

Project/Area Number	18K07318
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 50020:Tumor diagnostics and therapeutics-related
Research Institution	University of Tsukuba
Principal Investigator	KOJIMA HIROSHI 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (10225435)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	大越靖筑波大学, 医学医療系, 准教授 (10400673)
Project Period (FY)	2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000) Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000) Fiscal Year 2020: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000) Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000) Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Keywords	人工嗅覚センサー / 膜型表面応力センサ / 呼気 / がん / 機械学習 / ガスクロマトグラフ質量分析計 / がん検診 / 人工嗅覚センサ / 膜表面応力センサ / MSS / 超小型膜型表面応力センサ / ガガスクロマトグラフ質量分析計 / 早期診断 / がん早期診断 / 早期発見 / 膜表面応力センサ-
Outline of Final Research Achievements	We attempted to establish the cancer screening method by measuring the exhaled breath using an artificial odor senser, MSS. Reliability of the analytical method was confirmed by both repetitive measurement of the samples obtained from a same individual and analysis of the alcohol-containing samples. We then asked whether MSS can discriminate between cancer and healthy breath. Measurement of samples obtained from 100 cancer patients and 70 healthy individuals and analysis through machine learning theory revealed diagnostic accuracy of around 80%. To improve the accuracy, exhaled breath samples obtained from 60 cancer and 40 non-cancer patients were analyzed by a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer equipped with a concentrator. Based on the information of several components whose concentration is significantly different between cancer and non-cancer samples, sensitive membranes equipped in the MSS will be optimized in view of its future application for cancer screening.
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本研究によって、人工嗅覚センサ（膜型表面応力センサ：MSS）を用いた呼気測定が将来のがんスクリーニング法の選択肢になり得ることが示された。呼気測定によって複数のがん種が同時にスクリーニングできるようになれば、簡便かつ安価ながん検診が可能になることより、高齢化が進みがん発生数が増加しつつある我が国において、きわめて有望ながんスクリーニング手法になることが期待できる。実用化に向けては診断精度の向上が必要であるが、ガスクロマトグラフ質量分析計を用いた解析でがん呼気で有意に濃度の異なる物質が特定されつつあるので、今後MSSに内蔵する感応膜組成を最適化することによって達成可能であると考えている。