Using Light to Detect Cancer
The fledgling field of light imaging holds the potential to "see" even the smallest of tumor, raising the possibility of an eventual cell-by-cell attack on cancer. This technique uses a bioluminescence called green fluorescent protein (GFP), that can be visualized under blue light through special microscopes.
In mice studies UAB researcher Tandra Chaudhuri, Ph.D., was able to image single cells of an implanted breast tumor's progression and track the death of cancer cells under drug treatment. Thus, it may not be necessary to wait for a tumor to achieve a certain mass before it stands out enough to be discerned. "If cancer can be detected at this early stage, malignant cells could be destroyed by a procedure hardly more invasive than a biopsy."
Contact Laura Mansfield, Media Relations, 205-934-3889 or [email protected].
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