Cancer cells. Image by crafty_dame via Flickr
One of the greatest challenges surgeons face in dealing with cancer is identifying malignant cells in order to remove them, but a new fluorescent spray may change this.
The spray, which was developed by Hisataka Kobayashi of the National Cancer Institute, marks cancer cells within a minute, and it is hoped that it will one day be used in surgery to identify cells surgeons miss.
A study of the spray's ability to label cancer cells in lab mice was published last week in Science Translation Medicine. According to a report in Technology Review, the spray is activated by an enzyme called y-glutamyl transpeptidase that is abundant in tumor cells but not in normal cells. The spray is particularly fast-acting because the enzyme is on the cell's surface.
"A probe that is fast like this could really benefit surgeons in the operating room," says Michael Bouvet, a cancer surgery expert at the University of California, San Diego. Bouvet coauthored an editorial accompanying the study. "Even when you think you've taken out all of the primary tumor, you'd be surprised by how much cancer is often left behind."
In an interview with Technology Review, Bouvet indicated that the spray could prove especially useful for ovarian and colon cancer because of the way they spread into surrounding tissue, which makes removal very challenging.
According to the report, the spray is already being tested on human tumor samples and is expected to go into full clinical trials in a few years. You can read the full article in Technology Review here.
With a bit of smoke, a few mirrors and a degree in hieroglyphics, anyone can learn to read a P&ID. Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams is a topic that can benefit process, project and design engineers, business developers, operators, safety, maintenance and even management.
This Management and Leadership blog series is dedicated to the tools, approaches, and strategies that managers can use to promote the success of individuals and the team, and thus also the organization and themselves.
Biomanufacturing is evolving with the help of automation, data integration, and high-throughput tools. In this post, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences shares how their technologies are helping researchers accelerate DBTL cycles, improve scalability, and support sustainability.
Nearly 125 attendees from academia, industry, and the public sector gathered to discuss work at the forefront of regenerative engineering, medical biotechnology, genomics and genetics, computational and systems biology, and more.
Dr. Sang Yup Lee discusses his work, the field's impact on industrial applications, and the upcoming Metabolic Engineering Conference where he'll deliver his award lecture.
Check out AIChE's newest member benefit, AIChE Engage. Use the
robust directory search to find and connect with members.
Participate in technical, career, and academic discussions about
chemical engineering.
