Novel Dye Illuminates Pituitary Adenomas
Pituitary tumor surgery is a highly delicate procedure. With endoscopic devices, the surgeon reaches the skull through the nasal passage and drills a hole before slicing through the dura which surrounds the brain. If the tumor is small enough and benign, it is simply plucked off the pituitary. Even a slow growing adenoma can become invasive; so, removing as much as possible is the key to success. This piece reports how surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Precision Surgery are using a new near-infrared fluorescent dye to illuminate the tissue. “The fluorescent dye, known as OTL38, consists of two parts: vitamin B9 (a necessary ingredient for cell growth), and a near infrared glowing dye. As tumors try to grow and proliferate, they overexpress folate receptors. Pituitary tumors can overexpress folate receptors more than 20 times above the level of the normal pituitary gland in some cases. This dye binds to these receptors and thus allows us to identify tumors.” MORE
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