In cancer research, seeing is believing. Before they can diagnose or treat cancer, researchers and doctors need to have a clear understanding of what’s happening at a microscopic level. While existing technology allows us to see things the naked eye can’t, a team of researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is working to standardize a process for staining and seeing cancer in a whole new perspective — in 3D .
The green lines on this cancer spheroid show a nanobody, a specific part of an antibody, that is known to turn on a cancer-creating gene. A work of art, “Three-Dimensional Breast Cancer Spheroids,” is on display at the American Museum of Science & Energy. Image courtesy of Debjani Pal, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
A cancer spheroid, as shown in this beautiful image, is a densely packed clump of tumor cells. Normally, a microscopic view of this clump would yield only a two-dimensional picture. Instead, Debjani Pal, a research and development associate at ORNL, is developing a way to see the clump in its entirety. First, she constructed breast cancer cell tissue in a special microplate. This microplate allowed her to view it in 3D.
This 3D image of breast cancer tissue shows a nanobody, a specific part of an antibody. This nanobody is known to identify a breast cancer-creating receptor, called HER2. Scientists are interested in this receptor because it is overexpressed in certain types of breast cancer. Consequently, Pal believes that it can be used to deliver therapeutics directly to cancer cells. Because radiation can harm healthy cells, radiotherapy’s effectiveness is currently limited.
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Source: cleantechnica - 🏆 565. / 51 Read more »
Source: cleantechnica - 🏆 565. / 51 Read more »