A study led by scientists at Nagoya University in Japan has identified three previously unknown membrane proteins in exosomes from ovarian cancer. Using a unique technology consisting of nanowires with a polyketone coating, the group succeeded in capturing the proteins, demonstrating a new detection method for identification of ovarian cancer. The discovery of new biomarkers is important for detecting ovarian cancer, as the disease is difficult to detect in its early stages when it can most easily be treated. One approach to detecting cancer is to look for extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially small small ones released from the tumor called exosomes. As these exosome proteins are found outside the cancer cell, they can be isolated from body fluids, such as blood, urine, and saliva. However, the use of these biomarkers is hindered by the lack of reliable ones for the detection of ovarian cancer. The new findings were published on July 7, 2023 in Science Advances. The open-access article is titled “Identifying High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma-Specific Extracellular Vesicles by Polyketone-Coated Nanowires.”