( wever that's not the case. A cancer ce...)Novel ultrafast laser detection of cancer cells also may improve understanding of stem cells

wever, that's not the case. A cancer cell is like an insurgent terrorist with a very well-defined agenda. It rearranges the cytoskeleton and the arrangement of mitochondria in the cell. It's no longer a cooperative agent in a collection of cells but becomes malicious, tries to get outside the area, and hijacks the respiratory machinery of a cell."

The biocavity laser

It is these changes - a kind of beefing-up of the criminal forces - that Gourley's device, called a biocavity laser, detects.

A nano-thin layering of gallium aluminum arsenide combinations send up numerous tiny beams from a small cross-sectional generating area. These beams are reinforced or thwarted by the position and density of the mitochondria.

"The pictures we get from normal and cancer cells are very different," says Gourley. "Mitochondria conspire to cluster around the nucleus and work together to supply energy to the healthy, functioning cell. In contrast, the mitochondria in the cancer cell sit all over, isolated and balled up in a quiescent, non-functioning state. Apparently, the rapidly growing cancer cells derive energy from an alternative source such as free glucose in the cell."

Fortunately, the mitochondrion is nearly the same size as the light wavelength of about 800 nanometers, a frequency otherwise little absorbed by the body. Because of this close match, the laser is exquisitely sensitive to subtle changes in the mitochondria size and effects of clustering. To date, the research team has found that 90 to 95 percent of light scatter generated is from optical properties of mitochondria.

Working with UCSD

According to Bob Naviaux, professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Diego and co-director of its Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, "What's attractive about this novel optical method for identifying cancer cells is it's a very rapid and general method that potentially can be applied to canc
'"/>

Source:DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Novel Asthma Study Shows Multiple Genetic Input Required; Single-gene Solution Shot Down
2. Novel technology detects human DNA mutations
3. Novel antiviral technology inhibits RSV infection in mice
4. Novel Enzyme Shows Potential As An Anti-HIV Target
5. Novel Therapy Tested in Mice Could Chase Away Cat Allergies
6. Discovery Could Lead To Novel Approaches In HIV Treatment
7. Research Using Mouse Models Reveals A Novel Key Player In The Initiation Of Colon Cancer
8. Novel gene-silencing nanoparticles shown to inhibit Ewings sarcoma
9. Novel live reporting system to track cells
10. Field of beams - Novel system uses polarized light pulses to reveal crop health
11. Novel compounds show promise as safer, more potent insecticides