Ghosh Arya, Karmakar Varnita, Nair Anroop B, Jacob Shery, Shinu Pottathil, Aldhubiab Bandar, Almuqbil Rashed M, Gorain Bapi
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi 835215, Jharkhand, India.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025 Apr 27;18(5):638. doi: 10.3390/ph18050638.
Diagnosis and intervention at the earliest stages of cancer are imperative for maximizing patient recovery outcomes and substantially increasing survival rates and quality of life. Recently, to facilitate cancer diagnosis, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have shown potential with unique characteristics as cancer biomarkers. Various insects with sophisticated sensitivities of odor can be quickly and readily trained to recognize such VOCs using olfactory-linked skills. Furthermore, the approach to analyzing VOCs can be made using electronic noses, commonly referred to as e-noses. Using analytical instruments like GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, etc., chemical blends are separated into their constituent parts. The significance of odorant receptors in triggering neural responses to ambient compounds has received great attention in the last twenty years, particularly in the investigation of insect olfaction. Sensilla, a sophisticated olfactory neural framework, is regulated by a neuronal receptor composed of neuronal, non-neuronal, extracellular lymphatic fluid with an effectively generated shell. This review provides an in-depth exploration of the structural, functional, and signaling mechanisms underlying odorant sensitivities and chemical odor detection in the excretory products of cancer patients, addressing current challenges in VOC-based cancer diagnostics and innovative strategies for advancement while also envisioning the transformative role of artificial olfactory systems in the future of cancer detection. Furthermore, the article emphasizes recent preclinical and clinical advancements in VOC applications, highlighting their potential to redefine early diagnostic approaches in oncology.
在癌症的最早阶段进行诊断和干预对于最大限度地提高患者康复效果、大幅提高生存率和生活质量至关重要。最近，为了促进癌症诊断，挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）作为癌症生物标志物展现出了独特的潜力。各种对气味具有敏锐敏感度的昆虫可以通过嗅觉相关技能快速且容易地被训练来识别此类VOCs。此外，可以使用通常被称为电子鼻的设备来分析VOCs。利用气相色谱 - 质谱联用仪（GC-MS）、液相色谱 - 串联质谱仪（LC-MS/MS）等分析仪器，化学混合物被分离成其组成部分。在过去二十年中，气味受体在触发对环境化合物的神经反应方面的重要性受到了极大关注，特别是在昆虫嗅觉研究中。感觉器是一个复杂的嗅觉神经框架，由神经元、非神经元、细胞外淋巴液组成的神经元受体调控，并具有一个有效生成的外壳。本综述深入探讨了癌症患者排泄物中气味敏感性和化学气味检测背后的结构、功能和信号传导机制，解决了基于VOCs的癌症诊断中的当前挑战以及推进的创新策略，同时还展望了人工嗅觉系统在未来癌症检测中的变革性作用。此外，本文强调了VOC应用方面最近的临床前和临床进展，突出了它们重新定义肿瘤学早期诊断方法的潜力。
