Researchers at Michigan State University recently show up that bees, with their sense of smell, can detect lung cancer in a patient’s breath.
“Our world is visual. “The insect world is based solely on smell, so their sense of smell is very, very good,” said Debajit Saha, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Michigan State University, who was part of the team that published a study on the discovery last month.
“A lot of research shows that when certain types of cancer develop in our bodies, our breathing changes. “Our research shows that bees can detect lung cancer and possibly other diseases based on the smell of these cells. “
Saha and his team used bees and attached electrodes to their brains. The insects were then exposed to a synthetic substance that mimics the breath of lung cancer patients. Ninety-three percent of the time, the bees can distinguish between cancerous breath and artificial breath from a healthy person. Bees can also differentiate between different types of lung cancer.
This discovery could affect the early detection of various types of cancer, including lung, breast, head and neck, and colorectal cancer.
“We believe that breath-based cancer diagnosis could be a breakthrough,” said Saha. “The reason is that we often find cancer too late, even if the tumor has already grown quite large. But in general, when cancer starts to grow in the body, breathing patterns start to change more quickly.”
He hopes to develop a wearable system in which electrodes are inserted into the bees’ brains so that patients can breathe. These cyborg sensors, which are part brain and part engineering, provide test results in real time.
“Hopefully in the next five years we’ll have something that shows you can diagnose people using these insect brain disc sensors,” Saha said.
Using animals to diagnose cancer is not a new concept. At the Penn Vet Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania, researchers trained dogs to recognize specific cancer odors.
“Many other animals have a very strong and capable sense of smell,” said Cindy Otto, executive director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. “But what makes dogs so good is that they cooperate with people and communicating that information.”
The dogs are in a foster program where they live with families and are brought to “work” every day. Not all dogs can do the job, according to Clara Wilson, a postdoctoral researcher at the center.
“If the dogs were not interested in this type of work, we would know about it soon. And you can’t make a dog want to do this because they won’t give you a high-quality response,” Wilson said. “They have to love to commit. So it was a really fun game for them.”
Detecting cancer may be a difficult game for animals, but researchers have found that animals detect cancer better than machines. A dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times sharper than humans.
“Why do we find that these dogs outperform computers?” said Amritha Mallikarjun, another postdoctoral researcher at the center. “Well, part of its success is due to its sensitivity in detecting odor molecules compared to anything on the market today. “
The researchers hope to continue to isolate the characteristics of the smell of cancer to advance technological developments and eventually create an electronic nose that doubles the cancer-sniffing ability of dogs, thus enabling early cancer detection.
“This may not be the end, but I think it will advance the overall approach in detecting not only cancer but many other diseases,” said Otto.
“You can look back at Greek and Roman history. Doctors then used smell as part of their diagnostic tools and I think as modern humans we have moved on from that. “I think we can really take advantage of this and improve the health of not only people, but also dogs and other species. “
2024-11-26 01:09:00
#bees #dogs #detect #cancer #technology #Nusantara #News
Here are two PAA (Passage-based Answerable) questions related to the provided text:
## Buzzworthy Breakthrough: Can Bees and Dogs Really Diagnose Cancer?
**Host:** Welcome to World Today News. Today, we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of animal-assisted diagnosis with two esteemed guests. Dr. Debajit Saha, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University, joins us to discuss his groundbreaking research using bees to detect lung cancer. We’re also thrilled to have Dr. Cindy Otto, Executive Director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who has been pioneering the use of canine scent detection for various medical conditions, including cancer. Welcome to both of you.
**(Thematic Section 1: The Promise of Insect-Based Detection)**
**Host:** Dr. Saha, your team’s research using bees to detect lung cancer has certainly created quite a buzz. Can you tell our audience about the process and the impressive results you’ve achieved?
**Dr. Saha:** (Elaborates on the methodology used, highlighting the role of the bees’ sense of smell and the electrodes attached to their brains for detecting changes in their neural activity when exposed to cancer-related fumes.)
**Host:** Ninety-three percent accuracy in distinguishing cancerous breath from healthy breath is remarkable. What are the potential implications of this discovery for early cancer detection, particularly for types like lung cancer which are often diagnosed at late stages?
**Dr. Saha:** (Discusses the potential for early detection, the limitations of current diagnostic methods, and how bees could complement existing approaches.)
**(Thematic Section 2: Dogs: Master Sniffers with a Proven Track Record)**
**Host:** Dr. Otto, dogs have long been recognized for their exceptional sense of smell. Your team has harnessed this ability to train dogs for cancer detection. What characteristics make dogs particularly suited for this role?
**Dr. Otto:** (Explains the intricacies of canine olfaction and compares it to human smell. Emphasizes the dog’s natural inclination towards scent work, their trainability, and their intuitive ability to communicate their findings.)
**Host:** Beyond their remarkable olfactory prowess, how are the dogs at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center trained to specifically identify cancer odors? Can you share some insights into the training process and the types of cancers they’ve been successfully trained to detect?
**Dr. Otto:** (Describes the rigorous training program, the positive reinforcement techniques used, and the various types of cancers dogs have been trained to detect, including lung, breast, colorectal, and bladder cancer.)
**(Thematic Section 3: The Future of Animal-Assisted Diagnosis – Towards Electronic Noses)**
**Host:** Both your research efforts point towards a future where animals, either directly or indirectly, may play a crucial role in disease detection. Dr. Saha, your vision for a wearable system utilizing bee brains as biosensors is truly innovative. How close are we to realizing this technology, and what challenges remain?
**Dr. Saha:** (Discusses the timeframe for developing a wearable system, the potential benefits of such a device, and the technological hurdles they are working to overcome.)
**Host:** Dr. Otto, researchers at your center are also exploring the development of an ‘electronic nose’ that mimics the canine olfactory system. Can you shed light on the progress being made in this field and the potential impact it could have on healthcare?
**Dr. Otto:** (Discusses the ongoing research, the challenges involved in replicating the complexity of a dog’s nose electronically, and the goals of using this technology for early disease detection and diagnosis.)
**Host:** (Concludes by summarizing the key takeaways of the interview and highlighting the transformative potential of animal-assisted diagnostics in revolutionizing healthcare. Encourages further exploration of this fascinating field.)
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