Sniffing Out Cancer Cells
The result of multi-disciplinary studies in NASA that has produced an electronic nose that is very reliable in monitoring air quality in the confined space of the space shuttle and the International Space Station where clean air is a must. The electronic nose has proven to be so successful that it is being studied for applications in health care, more distinctly the ability to sniff out cancer cells. These cells as they found, tends to differ in smell to regular healthy cells making the electronic appendage very useful for diagnosis greatly enhancing their ability to suggest the right treatment for the different types. Designed so sensitive, it is able to detect contaminants at a precise proportion fro one to ten thousand parts per million particles that it may have a nose for such use in cancer research.
The scientists have been able to test the effectiveness of the electronic nose in differentiating healthy and cancerous cells in the lab with more tests underway to verify initial results. Added to existing intraoperating imaging systems, it can not only show but smell the presence of cancerous cells giving them away with their distinct smell.