Scientists have developed a glowing dye that sticks to cancer cells and gives surgeons a “second pair of eyes” to remove them in real time and permanently eradicate the disease. Experts say the breakthrough could reduce the risk of cancer coming back and prevent debilitating side-effects. The fluorescent dye spotlights tiny cancerous tissue that cannot be seen by the naked eye, enabling surgeons to remove every last cancer cell while preserving healthy tissue.
That could mean fewer life-changing side effects after surgery. The technique was developed by scientists and surgeons at the University of Oxford in collaboration with the California biotech company ImaginAb Inc and was funded by Cancer Research UK. “We are giving the surgeon a second pair of eyes to see where the cancer cells are and if they have spread,” said Freddie Hamdy, professor of surgery at the University of Oxford.
“With this technique, we can strip all the cancer away, including the cells that have spread from the tumour, which could give it the chance to come back later.” In the first trial of its kind, 23 men with prostate cancer were injected with the marker dye before undergoing surgery to remove their prostates. The fluorescent dye highlighted the cancer cells and where they had spread into other tissues, such as the pelvis and lymph nodes.
A special imaging system was used to shine a light on the prostate and nearby regions, making the prostate cancer cells glow. The ability to see such det.