Iranian Researchers Design Kit to Detect Genotoxicity, Diagnose Cancers

The researchers at the pharmaceutical sciences research center of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences designed a widely used laboratory diagnostic kit for early diagnosis of various diseases such as many cancers.

The kit is also for following up on the treatment process of the diseases, determining side effects of drugs, and detecting environmental pollutants.

Nasrin Qasemi, a member of the pharmaceutical sciences research center, said single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE), or the comet assay, is a classical method for the detection of DNA damage.

The genetic damage can be caused by pharmaceutical, cosmetic, hygiene, food, or various chemical substances, she added.

Comet assay test is one of the most accurate and widely used techniques in developed countries, she noted.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has also introduced it as one of the most reliable tests and uses this test in issuing most licenses, especially in the field of pharmaceutical sciences.

However, despite all its advantages, the method is not used in Iran for various reasons.

Unfortunately, three US companies exclusively manufactured the kit and sold it at a very high price. So, it was not possible for us to import it, Qasemi added.

The kit includes a complete guide that eliminates the need for the presence of an experienced expert. Therefore, people can easily use the kit to detect genotoxicity.

Also, the Iranian kit is more inexpensive than the foreign model, she said.

This product is now at the investment stage, Qasemi said, adding that thanks to its low price, it has the ability to be produced commercially and even exported.

The kit can be used in the early diagnosis and follow-up treatment of various diseases such as cancers, as well as in the study of environmental pollutants in different sectors such as water and sewage, air, and soil.

They can also be used to examine environments where people are exposed to toxic substances or radiation.

For instance, it can be used to study the spread of a kind of cancer in an area that is adjacent to a factory that generates genotoxic or carcinogenic pollutants, Qasemi highlighted.

Also in forensic medicine, it can be helpful in tests before and after death. In some cases, it can even be used to determine the time of death.

It can also be used in various studies, laboratories, and research centers.

Moreover, the substance can be used in healing diabetic foot ulcers, act as a pain reliever, and have healing and relieving properties at the same time, she concluded.

4155/g