Breast Cancer Recurrence: The Silent Killer
Breast cancer is one of the most common and devastating diseases worldwide. Among its many subtypes, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) stands out as one of the most dangerous. TNBC cells lack estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 proteins, making it resistant to many targeted treatments.
For survivors, recurrence means facing treatment again, with its severe side effects like vomiting, fatigue, nausea, and pain.
Did you know?
But We Can Fix This
The Triagnostics team is developing an at-home, reusable liquid biopsy test to detect TNBC recurrence. as early as possible.
Here's how it works:
- A TNBC patient in remission pricks their finger and places a drop of blood in our device.
- Toehold switches engineered into our biosensor system detect TNBC-associated microRNAs (miR-21 and miR-155).
- If the recurrence biomarkers are elevated, the sample produces fluorescence.
- Patients can monitor often, and the data is sent to the patient’s physician.
What actually happens
This test will be:
- Accurate – miRNA detection provides high specificity.
- Reusable – enabling continuous monitoring at home.
- Private – allowing patients to track their health in their own home.
- Easy and non-invasive-enabling frequent testing.
Our goal is to make recurrence detection simpler, faster, and less invasive than current methods so that cancer’s return can be treated early, saving lives.
Who Are We?
We are Triagnostics, a passionate high school iGEM team from the Baltimore, MD (USA) region dedicated to tackling one of the most pressing healthcare challenges: breast cancer recurrence. By combining synthetic biology with a patient-centered design, we aim to give survivors a tool that provides them peace of mind and a chance for earlier intervention.
