Artificial Mole as Early Cancer Detector
July 3, 2018 | Terry Sharrer
In animal studies, bioengineers at ETH Zurich (the Swiss Technical Institute in Zurich) have designed an artificial mole that monitors calcium levels in skin as an early cancer detector: “When the implant detects elevated calcium levels for a prolonged period of time, it triggers the genetically-modified cells to begin producing extra melanin. This pigment is what darkens skin to form freckles and moles, creating a clearly-visible signal at the site of the implant, telling the person that something is wrong and they should visit a doctor. The mole will appear long before the cancer could normally be detected through other means, and means people won’t wait until they feel sick or are in pain to get themselves checked out.” MORE
Image Credit: ETH Zurich