Brazilian Scientist Develops Revolutionary MasSpec Pen for Cancer Detection in Seconds

Brazilian scientist Lívia Schiavinato Eberlin, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, has created the MasSpec Pen, an innovative medical device that can identify whether tissue is cancerous or healthy within just ten seconds during surgery. This breakthrough technology uses a microdrop of sterile water applied by the pen's tip to collect molecular information from the tissue surface. That tiny sample is then analyzed immediately by a connected mass spectrometer, providing surgeons with real-time, non-invasive results without damaging the tissue.

The MasSpec Pen is currently undergoing clinical trials at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, in partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific, the company behind the mass spectrometry technology. Traditional methods for assessing surgical margins, such as frozen section exams, can take between 20 minutes and 1.5 hours and may alter the tissue, posing limitations in fast-paced surgical environments. By contrast, the MasSpec Pen allows surgeons to make instant decisions on tissue removal, which is particularly vital for complex cases like lung tumors.

Kenneth Gollob, director of the Center for Immunology and Oncology Research at Albert Einstein Hospital, emphasized that this device offers direct diagnostic capabilities in the operating room, significantly reducing reliance on slower laboratory testing. Furthermore, the hospital's research team is exploring whether the MasSpec Pen can identify the immune profile of tumors during surgery—information typically only available days later through detailed lab analyses.

Eberlin compares the pen's method to how water flows through coffee grounds, highlighting its gentle and undamaging nature. This cutting-edge technology represents a meaningful advancement in cancer surgical care, enhancing precision and potentially improving patient outcomes by enabling immediate tissue characterization.