Cancer cells illuminated in tracking breakthrough
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3689479/Cancer-cells-illuminated-in-tracking-breakthrough.html>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3689479/Cancer-cells-illuminated-in-tracking-breakthrough.html Scientists have developed a substance that can illuminate live cancer cells and may offer a way of tracking the spread of the disease. By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo Last Updated: 1:22PM GMT 09 Dec 2008 The fluorescent compound attached itself to live cancer cells, enabling scientists to determine either the growth or containment of the disease. During the study, scientists from Japan and the United States monitored the spread of breast and ovarian cancer cells in live mice using a small camera known as an endoscope. Hisataka Kobayashi of the US National Cancer Institute, who led the study along with scientists from the University of Tokyo, concluded: "These compounds may allow clinicians to monitor a patient's response to cancer therapy by allowing them to visualise whether a drug hits its target and whether hitting the target leads to shrinkage of the tumour." Scientists created an initial substance by fusing a fluorescent compound with the breast cancer drug Herceptin, a genetically engineered antibody that targets cancer cells. When tested on live mice, scientists found that the substance attached itself only to live cells, enabling the specific determination of the presence of cancer cells and tumours. The team continued to use another cancer drug known as Roche AG's Zenapax and an endoscope to obtain images of ovarian cancer tumours that had spread inside the abdominal cavities of the living mice. Around half an hour after the cancer cells were killed, the substance stopped glowing, according to the study, which was reported in the British journal Nature Medicine. Dr Yobayashi said: "Our design concept is very versatile and can be used to detect many types of cancer. "Unlike other activatable fluorescent compounds, our compound consists of a targeting agent and a fluorescing agent that act independently. "We can target the fluorescing agent to different types of cancer cells by using any antibody or molecule that is internalised by the targeted cells after it binds to the cell's surface proteins." <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/please%20donate.html>Donations are needed and very much appreciated <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage <*}}}>< <*}}}><<http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Kingdom!<*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/please%20donate.html>Donations are needed and very much appreciated <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.holypostage.com/>Holy Postage <*}}}>< <*}}}><<http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Kingdom!<*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
