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Monday, 8 February 2016

Bananas May Help Detect, Cure Skin Cancer -

Bananas May Help Detect, Cure Skin Cancer - 



The black spots on old banana peels may unlock a faster, easier diagnosis of human skin cancer, boosting survival chances, scientists said Monday.

When bananas ripen, their skin is covered in small, round black spots caused by an enzyme known as tyrosinase.

The same enzyme is present in human skin, and in greater quantities in people suffering from melanoma — a potentially deadly form of skin cancer.

A fungus called Panama Disease Tropical Race 4 is threatening to eliminate all the Cavendish bananas! Why is this a big deal, and are we able save this delicious fruit?
A team of scientists used this observed commonality to build a cancer scanner, which they then refined and tested at length on banana peels before moving on to human tissue.

First, researchers at the Laboratory of Physical and Analytical Electrochemistry in Switzerland concluded that the enzyme is a reliable marker of melanoma growth.

In the earliest stage 1 of cancer, the enzyme is not very apparent, becoming widespread and evenly distributed in stage 2, and unevenly distributed in stage 3 — by when the cancer has started spreading to other parts of the body.

The earlier the cancer is detected, the greater the chances of survival.

According to the American Cancer Society, people have a 10-year survival rate of 95 percent if the melanoma is detected in stage 1 — falling to 43 percent by mid-stage 3.

The team developed a scanner and tested it on banana peel spots — which are roughly the same size as melanoma spots on human skin.

“By working with fruit, we were able to develop and test a diagnostic method before trying it on human biopsies,” team leader Hubert Girault said in a statement.

The scanner has eight flexible microelectrodes, spaced like comb teeth, that pass over the skin to measure the quantity and distribution of tyrosinase.

“This system could obviate the need for invasive tests like biopsies,” the team said.

Girault believes the scanner could be used one day to destroy tumors, hopefully rendering biopsies and even chemotherapy unnecessary.

“Our initial laboratory tests showed us that our device could be used to destroy the cells,” he said.

The research was published in the German science journal Angewandte Chemie.

Read more -
http://news.discovery.com/human/health/bananas-may-help-detect-cure-skin-cancer-160208.htm

16 comments:

  1. "Wow! Who knew banana peels could be this significant for science? Nature never ceases to amaze us!"
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  2. "This research is groundbreaking! Early detection of melanoma is critical, and this could revolutionize skin cancer diagnosis."
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  3. "It’s incredible how something as simple as banana spots can help detect such a serious illness. Hats off to the researchers!"
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  4. "I wonder how long it will take for this scanner to become mainstream. It could save so many lives!"
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  5. "Bananas saving lives? That’s innovation at its finest. Can’t wait to see this in real-world applications."
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  6. "Kudos to the scientists for thinking outside the box. From fruit to human health — truly inspiring work!"
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  7. "It’s fascinating how nature often holds the answers to complex human problems. This is a fantastic discovery."
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  8. "Such innovative research! Early detection methods like this could change the survival rates drastically."
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  9. "The similarities between banana peel spots and melanoma are something I would have never imagined. Science is brilliant!"
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  10. "This could reduce the need for painful biopsies — making skin cancer testing faster and less invasive. Amazing!"
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  11. "Banana peels as a diagnostic tool? Truly mind-blowing! I hope the technology becomes widely available soon."
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  12. "Thank you for shedding light on this. People need to know how close we are to improving cancer detection methods!"
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  13. "This discovery proves how important funding and research are for scientific breakthroughs. Great work!"
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  14. "Incredible to see how a fruit we take for granted could help in fighting such a life-threatening disease."
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  15. "It’s encouraging to know science is evolving toward early, non-invasive cancer detection methods. A game-changer for sure!"
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