PotM - May 2026

Urinary detection of therapy-induced senescence and fibrosis using an injectable albumin-based nanoprobe

Hartono M et al., Nature Aging 2026

Brief Summary provided by the authors:

A novel urine test has been developed to detect a biochemical signal associated with senescence-related processes in diseased lung tissue. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) was identified as a key marker linked to senescence-associated activity in lung cancer biology, particularly in the context of therapy response, and is also observed in pulmonary fibrosis.

The nanoprobe, called ALBANC, is made of a human serum albumin protein linked to gold nanoclusters through MMP-7-cleavable peptide linkers. When the sensor encounters elevated MMP-7 activity in diseased tissue, the gold nanocluster link is cut and these tracers are released into circulation, enabling renal excretion. These fragments are small enough to be filtered by the kidneys and appear in urine, where they form the measurable colorimetric signal. 

To improve sensitivity, the team at University of Cambridge developed a nanoparticle growth-based amplification step that enhances detection of the urinary signal by approximately 250-fold compared with conventional approaches. This allows repeated, non-invasive measurement over time, and tracking of senescence-associated biology in preclinical models.

Prof. Furk

Prof Ljiljana Furk (Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge) commented: “This approach allows us to follow senescence-associated activity in a way that is non-invasive and repeatable. It was already very exciting to be developing a system that could report on biological signals linked to lung cancer and treatment response, with the goal of improving how disease is monitored and ultimately outcomes for patients. The fact that it may also be relevant to other conditions we did not originally set out to study makes the direction of research particularly encouraging.”

Prof Daniel Munoz-Espin (Department of Oncology, co-Director of CRUK Cambridge Centre Thoracic Cancer Programme, University of Cambridge) said: “Our recent studies showed that senescent cells in response to chemotherapy can cause treatment resistance and an aggressive lung cancer relapse. Our urine nanosensor could allow primary care detection of therapy resistance for lung cancer in future clinical settings”. 

Prof. Munoz-Espin

“In addition to its application in monitoring lung cancer biology, including therapy response, resistance and disease progression, our work shows that the system can also report on biological signals associated with pulmonary fibrosis. This is particularly important given the severity of the disease and the lack of effective early intervention once it becomes established. A non-invasive way to track disease-related biology over time could be valuable in patients at higher risk, including those with underlying lung conditions, environmental exposures or other known risk factors.”