Published in Chemistry World, 26 Jan 2011
Researchers in Germany have devised a safe method to image the pH of tissue in the human body. The method, which involves measuring the luminescence of injected dyes, could help physicians monitor wound healing and tumour growth.
pH is crucial in several bodily processes. During wound healing, disturbed layers of skin can affect the pH, which in turn affects the function of certain enzymes necessary for new tissue formation. With tumours, changes in pH are also a signal of changes in metabolism, or the onset of oxygen deficiency. Since pH can vary over a small area, physicians are keen to find ways to monitor the pH in the body in two dimensions. […]
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