Nanoneedles: A Painless Future for Cancer Biopsies

A patch with millions of nanoneedles may soon replace traditional biopsies, offering a painless, less invasive way to detect diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. Unlike conventional biopsies—which are common but invasive, painful, and limited in sample size—the patch could improve early diagnosis and ongoing monitoring by enabling more frequent and comprehensive testing (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Nanoneedles enable spatiotemporal lipidomics of living tissues

Go to source). Researchers at King’s College London have created a nanoneedle patch that gathers molecular data from tissues without causing harm or requiring tissue removal. This innovation may enable real-time disease monitoring and allow for multiple, repeatable tests in the same location—something not possible with traditional biopsy methods.

Painless Nanoneedles Offer Earlier, Safer Disease Monitoring

Because the nanoneedles are 1,000 times thinner than a human hair and do not remove tissue, they cause no pain or damage, making the process less painful for patients compared to standard biopsies. For many, this could mean earlier diagnosis and more regular monitoring, transforming how diseases are tracked and treated.

Dr. Ciro Chiappini, who led the research published in Nature Nanotechnology, said: “We have been working on nanoneedles for twelve years, but this is our most exciting development yet. It opens a world of possibilities for people with brain cancer, Alzheimer’s, and for advancing personalized medicine. It will allow scientists – and eventually clinicians – to study disease in real time like never before.”

The patch is covered in tens of millions of nanoneedles. In preclinical studies, the team applied the patch to brain cancer tissue taken from human biopsies and mouse models. The nanoneedles extracted molecular ‘fingerprints’ — including lipids, proteins, and mRNAs — from cells, without removing or harming the tissue.

The tissue imprint is then analyzed using mass spectrometry and artificial intelligence, giving healthcare teams detailed insights into whether a tumor is present, how it is responding to treatment, and how disease is progressing at the cellular level.

Dr Chiappini said: “This approach provides multidimensional molecular information from different types of cells within the same tissue. Traditional biopsies simply cannot do that. And because the process does not destroy the tissue, we can sample the same tissue multiple times, which was previously impossible.”

Real-Time Surgical Guidance with Nanoneedle Technology

This technology could be used during brain surgery to help surgeons make faster, more precise decisions. For example, by applying the patch to a suspicious area, results could be obtained within 20 minutes and guide real-time decisions about removing cancerous tissue.

Made using the same manufacturing techniques as computer chips, the nanoneedles can be integrated into common medical devices such as bandages, endoscopes and contact lenses.

Dr Chippani added: “This could be the beginning of the end for painful biopsies. Our technology opens up new ways to diagnose and monitor disease safely and painlessly – helping doctors and patients make better, faster decisions.”

The breakthrough was possible through close collaboration across nanoengineering, clinical oncology, cell biology, and artificial intelligence—each field bringing essential tools and perspectives that, together, unlocked a new approach to non-invasive diagnostics.

Reference:

1. Nanoneedles enable spatiotemporal lipidomics of living tissues - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01955-8)

Source-Eurekalert