Nanoparticles help identify tumour edges

Published in MPW, 8 Sep 2015

Researchers in the US have demonstrated that the excitation of magnetic nanoparticles at different frequencies can identify the border between tumorous and healthy tissue. The technique, known as spectroscopic magnetomotive optical coherence elastography, could one day be used to find out how far a cancer has spread, or to isolate a tumour prior to surgery (Phys. Med. Biol. 60 6655).

A lot of diseases lead to changes in the mechanical properties of tissues. It is for this reason that a physician can feel someone’s body for the presence of a tumour – because a mass of tumour tissue is stiffer than healthy tissue. Likewise, areas of tissue that have become inflamed are stiffer, while those that have accumulated water are typically softer, more spongy. […]

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