A group of scientists has made a major breakthrough in the fight against cancer; they have developed a fluorescent probe that specifically attaches to liver cancer cells and makes them glow bright yellow under light, allowing the new technology to pinpoint the boundary between healthy tissue and tumors with great precision.
Scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea have developed a molecular tool called SLY that makes it easier to accurately identify tumor tissue, one of the great challenges in cancer treatment.
This tool has two important uses: first, early and accurate diagnosis of liver cancer at the cellular level; second, assisting surgeons during surgery so that they can see the exact border of the tumor vividly and clearly and confidently remove all cancerous tissue without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.
This development has raised hopes for better treatments for liver cancer and could be a major step towards saving patients’ lives.
