Nanoanalysis Shows Cancer Cells Are Softer
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, have been using a nanotechnology device known as an Atomic Force Microscope to analyze cancer cells at the molecular level.
The innovative technology — which allows scientists to not only view cells, but to “feel” them too — has revealed that cancer cells are much softer than healthy ones.
To arrive at their conclusions, the team used the microscope’s spring-mounted tip to push against the surfaces of malignant and benign cells taken from breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer patients. Their nanoscale measurements revealed the cancerous cells were 70 percent softer than benign cells making it easy to differentiate healthy and diseased cells.
In a statement explaining the process, one of the UCLA researchers offered a simple supermarket analogy. He said,
“You look at two tomatoes in the supermarket and both are red. One is rotten, but it looks normal. If you pick up the tomatoes and feel them, it’s easy to figure out which one is rotten. We’re doing the same thing. We’re poking and quantitatively measuring the softness of the cells.”
James Gimzewski
Distinguished Professor,
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA
The team believes the discovery may help doctors diagnose tumors and determine which ones pose the biggest threat.
Findings from the study are published in the advance online edition of Nature Nanotechnology.
Source: Reuters Health News
Related Links: California NanoSystems Institute; ScienceDaily; Pharma Gazette; azonano.com
Related Video:
Print This
|
| Sphere: Related Content
No Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
Browse All Categories: Next article: Distributed Cognition May Provide Clues to Medical Errors
Previous article: Higher Radiation Rating Recommended for Tritium
