A new advancement in real-time visualization of body tissues using molecular imaging probes could significantly increase early detection and treatment capabilities of cancer and other diseases, according to results of a study published online in Nature Communications.
European researchers developed the technique—which employs probes made of peptide molecules and a newly designed fluorescent tag to track and observe target cell processes—using fungal cells, though the technique is applicable to tissues collected from patient samples.
"Peptides are a powerful tool for spotting small signs of disease but until now we did not have a good way of tracking them,” Marc Vendrell, MD, of the University of Edinburgh MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, told Phys.org. “With this new technology, we can make probes to detect diseases with more accuracy and at earlier stages."
Using the new peptide probes allowed researchers to detect minute molecular changes in tissues and track them in real-time, potentially leading to much earlier disease diagnosis and the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of subsequent treatments.
The new technique could eventually help improve diagnostic imaging procedures such as PET scans to catch disease faster and further enhance early detection capabilities, the researchers said.
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