Mantis can help improve the diagnosis of cancer
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Mantis shrimp, which live in shallow depths in the subtropical and tropical seas, is one of the most complex sight among all beings on earth. For example, a person can only distinguish three basic colors, while a mantis shrimp sees twelve colors; in addition, they perceive infrared and ultraviolet light and are able to distinguish between different polarizations of light.
At the University of Queensland, the experts studied these animals, and as a result came to the conclusion that the diagnosis of cancer can be significantly improved. In their studies, scientists reproduced the properties of the eyes of these unique marine creatures within the ordinary chamber, which as a result allowed literally to look through the tissues of the human body. In the plans of scientists to introduce a similar technology in smartphones.
As already mentioned, the eyes of mantis beetles are able to determine polarized light. In cancerous and healthy cells, such light is reflected in different ways and the specialists have succeeded in creating a camera that converts signals that determine only the eyes of the cancer into signals that are understandable to the eye of a person. As a result, specialists received a system that is able to determine the diagnosis during the study of the activity of nerve cells or in diagnosing cancer.
Currently, there is such equipment, however, it is too heavy. Specialists intend to develop a small version of the camera that can be removed through tissue. Now a biopsy is assigned to confirm the oncological diagnosis, the new system is suitable for the study of neurons. In addition, during experiments with rodents, scientists were able to diagnose cancer in their early stages.
Cancer is by far the most common disease. Specialists not only develop new effective and safe methods of diagnosing diseases, but also ways to improve the effect of treatment. As studies of scientists from London College and Southampton University have shown, berries can enhance the effectiveness of treatment in oncology. For example, the extract of the aronia blackberry showed the ability to quickly destroy cancer cells. In berries of chokeberry there is a large amount of vitamins, antioxidants, in particular polyphenols. The extract of berries of the plant was tested on pathological cells in pancreatic cancer. During the experiment, some cancer cells were treated with a drug used during chemotherapy, and part of the extract of black chokeberry in different concentrations. Also, scientists tested the effect of the complex effects of chemotherapy and rowan extract on cancer cells.
As a result, the extract showed its effect for 2 days, provoking the death of cancer cells (concentration 1 μg per 1 ml). At the same time, in the maximum concentration (50 μg), the extract was completely harmless for healthy cells. Small doses of the extract in combination with chemotherapy showed tremendous effectiveness - for treatment required a smaller dose of drugs, which reduced the likelihood of adverse reactions.
In earlier studies, the extract of Aronia blackberry showed good results in studies on brain cancer. Scientists suggest that the whole thing in plant polyphenols, which can also be found in green tea, peanuts, turmeric, soybeans.
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