Lauren G. -- The luminous cells of jellyfish contain a green fluorescent protein (GFP) that allows them to glow in the dark. Though a procedure developed at the Yorkshire Cancer Research Laboratory at York University, these proteins can be inserted into human cancer cells in order to make them visible to a specialized camera. This process may potentially revolutionize the way certain cancers are diagnosed because the luminescent proteins allowed visuals of tissues deep within the body, something that x-ray technology was incapable of. This will allow for earlier diagnosis and detection of small clusters of cancerous cells. The scientists expect the process to be ready for clinical trials within the next 5 years. However, the camera equipment is quite pricy and not widely available. Only one U.S. company has built a camera with the desired resolution for detecting the luminous cells.
This is incredible – definitely makes my top 5 article list. Who knew jellyfish could be so useful? What I’m wondering is if there are any harmful side effects of inserting the proteins into your body. How do they insert the proteins into just the cancerous cells, especially if they are so deep within the tissue? Does it harm the jellyfish at all? Does it work with all forms of cancer? I am looking forward to hearing more on this revolutionary process in the near future.
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