2013年2月5日訊 /生物谷BIOON/ --瑞士科學(xué)家近來發(fā)現(xiàn)可以用納米級顯微鏡來輔助診斷乳腺癌。這項技術(shù)是由University of Basel的研究人員開發(fā)出來的,。首先研究人員利用納米顯微鏡擠壓乳腺組織,，然后通過原子力顯微鏡觀察組織的受壓迫情況發(fā)現(xiàn)健康組織較為僵硬，而癌癥組織則是僵硬部分和柔軟部分相間分布,。根據(jù)這種原理,，研究人員能夠較早地查出患者病變位置，并預(yù)測癌細胞可能會如何擴散,。目前,，研究人員計劃用兩年時間將該技術(shù)市場化。（生物谷Bioon.com）
詳細英文報道：
Swiss scientists discovered a way to enhance breast cancer diagnostics through the use of a nanoscale microscope. The specially made tool helped them learn that breast cancer tissue is alternatively stiff and soft, and that healthy tissue, by contrast, is stiff all over. Knowing this helps, they conclude, because it is crucial knowledge that can help determine how likely a cancer is to spread. And with that data in hand, clinicians can plan surgery or chemotherapy treatments accordingly for maximum effect.
The University of Basel team used a nanoscale microscope tip to make an indentation in a breast tissue biopsy. Next, they applied an indentation-type atomic force microscope to visualize what they did at the nanoscale level. They found healthy tissue is almost uniformly stiff, but cancerous tissue has both soft and stiff components.
So how will this help breast cancer diagnostics in the future? There is some controversy over how knowledge about tissue texture could influence cancer treatment decisions. The Basel team acknowledges this, but believes a nanoscale image will make all the difference, because that is the level at which scientists can track cellular mechanics. And with that knowledge in hand, they believe it will be useful to help inform surgical and chemotherapy decisions, potentially at an earlier stage after tracking a cancer's status and location as precisely as possible.
Ultimately, the research team is looking to develop the atomic force microscope they created for the research into a diagnostic tool that can be easy to use within the clinic. They promise a two-year time frame for this, which would be noteworthy.
The University of Basel's Marija Plodinec explained that researchers are zeroing in on the physical properties of a tumor and trying to figure out how biomechanics influence cancer metastasis, as well as how cancer cells migrate and invade different parts of the body. Plodinec said in a statement that the technology her team developed--known as ARTIDIS--can enable this with "potential prognostic and predictive value as a marker for therapeutic applications."
Researchers were to present details of their work at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Feb. 2-6, 2013 in Philadelphia, PA.
