Glowing cells guide cancer surgeons

Nature : Fluorescent labels have helped surgeons spot cancerous ovarian cells smaller than a millimeter in size. About 90% of malignant ovarian tumors have high numbers of receptors for the molecule folate. Vasilis Ntziachristos of the Technical University of Munich in Germany and colleagues attached folate to the fluorescent molecule fluorescein iso-thiocyanate, then injected it into patients. Cells with excess folate receptors, now effectively labeled with the glowing molecule, shone white when viewed with a specially designed camera and light. Surgeons were then able to find and remove cancerous tissue that would otherwise have been indistinguishable from healthy ovarian tissue.