Researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) are developing a pill that makes tumors light up when exposed to infrared light, and the concept has worked in mice.
“It’s actually based on a failed drug,” said Greg Thurber, UM assistant professor of chemical engineering and biomedical engineering, in a news release posted on UM website.
“It binds to the target, but it doesn’t do anything, which makes it perfect for imaging.”
The researchers attached a molecule that fluoresces when it is struck with infrared light to this drug.
Then, they administered the drug to mice that had breast cancer, and they witnessed the tumors light up.
The targeting molecule has already been shown to make it through the stomach unscathed, and the liver also gives it a pass, so it can travel through the bloodstream.
The development could also catch cancers that would have spread undetected.
