How Soft Are The Cells? - Scientists Use an Atomic Force Microscope

Knowing that cancer is a group of diseases characterized by an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. If the spread of these cells are not controlled they can result in death. Last year alone (2007) near to 7.6 million people died around the world, caused by cancer related illness. It is absolutely vital to determine previously every cancerous cell in the body in order to fight it.

However, an advanced health study revealed that cancer cells (or abnormal cells) are softer than healthy cells. In the same way as a ripe cherry, according to the finding, cancer cells are much softer than a healthy one. Now doctors can solve more easily some problems and diagnose tumors, and any alteration in cells. The scientists involved in the research, wrote in the journal 'Nature Nanotechnology' that cancer cells taken from patients with pancreatic, breast and lung tumors were softer than benign cells.

This team of scientist used during the research an AFM (Atomic Force Microscope), that allowed them not only identify the dangerous cancer cells but give also seperate cancerous cells from healthy cells that had spread from original site of tumors. That's a wonderful thing because currently, cancer causes more death worldwide than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. It seems to me that this great breakthrough needs accelerated. The big question would be: When?

Jianyu Rao, member of the Jonsson Cancer Center at the University of California at Los Angeles said in a telephone interview: 'The bottom line is now we can feel the cancer cells with this technology, in addition to looking at them and analyzing them in a molecular way and we think it may be diagnostically helpful'.

A very positive aspect for scientists is that during their research they observed the different types of cancer cells and all had a similar level of softness, allowing the healthy and diseased ones to be clearly identified. Cancer diagnosis, including careful clinical and pathological assessments, is the first stop to cancer management.

However, this technique may represent a new method of detecting cancer, particularly in cells from body cavity fluids for which diagnosis with current techniques can be difficult. Also the conventional diagnosis utilized by specialists in hospitals and clinics, miss about 30 percent of cases in which cancer cells are present in the fluid. The AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) used in the research has a small tip on a spring to push against the surface of the cells while determine the level of softness or firmness.

The UCLA chemistry professor, James Gimzewski which is part of the group of researchers said: 'If you look at two tomatoes in the supermarket and you notice that both are red, one of them is rotten but it looks normal. But if you pick the tomatoes and feel them, it's easy to figure out which one is rotten. We are doing the same thing to evaluate cells for determine the level of softness of everyone'. Gimzewski also argued that they are touching and measuring quantitatively the softness of the cells.

According to the annual report of the American Cancer Association of 2007, all cancer involve a malfunction of genes that control cell growth, division and death and damage to genes occurs due to internal factors such as hormones and metabolism of nutrients within cells or external factors such as tobacco, chemicals and sunlight. Beside this, the researchers found that when cancer is spreading from its original site, for instance: the pancreas or into other parts of the body in a process called metastasis, tumor cells can cause fluid to build up in cavities such as the chest and abdomen.

Moreover the researchers said if they could detect the presence of cancer in this fluid, doctors could make better decision about how aggressively a patient should be treated or if any treatment is appropriate at all. Unfortunately in most parts of the world, the majority of cancer patients present themselves with advanced disease and for these patients the only realistic treatment is pain relief palliative care. Many drugs used for palliative care are expensive and others simply are not available in developing countries because of regulatory or pricing obstacles, lack of knowledge or false beliefs.

Finally the researchers said that measuring the softness of cells might in the future help determine which tumors are more likely to be deadly. Also in diseases particularly the likes of prostate cancer, it can be difficult to distinguish a tumor that might be terminal from one that might pose little threat. Furthermore they said: 'More broadly, what we really had in mind is basically hoping some day that when we look at the primary tumors that we can predict which one is more aggressive'.

By: HÈctor Nicolas Suero
NanoVip - Staff Writer