Jellyfish cells to “diagnose” cancer

Not quite sure what to make of this latest research!

Luminous cells from jellyfish can be used to diagnose cancers deep inside the body. The process, developed by a research team from the Yorkshire Cancer Research Laboratory at York University uses the green fluorescent protein (GFP) enabling jellyfish to glow in the dark.

The team’s leader, Professor Norman Maitland, believes it will revolutionise the way some cancers are diagnosed.

He said: “Cancers deep within the body are difficult to spot at an early stage, and early diagnosis is critical for the successful treatment of any form of cancer.

“What we have developed is a process which involves inserting proteins derived from luminous jellyfish cells into human cancer cells.

“Then, when we illuminate the tissue, a special camera detects these proteins as they light up, indicating where the tumours are.”

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