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Researchers Create a Protein Map of Human Spit

Posted by samzenpus on from the doctor-saliva dept.

Ant writes "United States researchers have identified all 1,116 unique proteins found in human saliva glands. It was a discovery they said on Tuesday that could usher in a wave of convenient, spit-based diagnostic tests that could be done without the need for a single drop of blood. As many as 20 percent of the proteins found in saliva are also found in blood, said Fred Hagen, a researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York who worked on the study."

2 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Damn by Per+Abrahamsen · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I read it as "Researchers Create a Protein Map of Human Spirit." Much more interesting that way.

  2. At first I wanted to make a funny by Martian_Kyo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    but after rtfa, I must say it is pretty cool. The spit based tests would make the trip to hospitals whole lot less stressful. However what is not mentioned is reliability of these tests, or mainly how many false positives it gives for let's say breast cancer. If 100% of women with breast cancer have a certain protein, but also 60% of women who don't have breast cancer have that same protein, it makes the test...well less effective.