University of Michigan creates new cancer monitoring technique

University of Michigan researchers have created a new technique to monitor single, liquid-suspended cancer cells in real-time. Typically, circulating tumor cells are difficult to monitor because they appear only once in a trillion cells and are in constant motion. This new technique uses magnets to rotate cancer cells and reveal the shape and size while cells are being spun. Cancer cells that are larger, dividing, or dying spin at a slower rate and become subject for analysis, allowing for a greater understanding of the cancer process. With its potential to create new treatment therapies, this discovery is considered a major step in research.


SOURCE: University of Michigan News Service