Soon, a 15 minute at-home test could reveal if you have diseases like cancer or multiple sclerosis.

Scientists at the University of Leeds have developed a new technology that uses antibodies to detect biomarkers, molecules in the body that are often signals of disease. The biomarkers they can detect include a range of diseases, like prostate and ovarian cancer, stroke, multiple sclerosis, heart disease and fungal infections.

“We believe this to be the next generation diagnostic testing,” Paul Millner, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, was quoted as saying. “We can now detect almost any analyte faster, cheaper and more easily than the current accepted testing methodology.”

Currently, tests can be performed on urine or blood to look for signs of disease, but it can take two hours to complete, is expensive, and can only be performed by trained individuals. Leeds scientists say the new technology could be used to create a small, hand-held device into which different sensor chips could be inserted to look for different diseases.

In addition to testing for diseases, experts say the technology can also be used for environmental purposes, including testing for herbicides or pesticides in water or antibiotics in milk.

SOURCE: University of Leeds press release, October 1, 2008