U-M Researchers Use Biolasers to Detect Cancer Cells

“The laser emission from a cell laser is much stronger than what we get from traditional fluorescent techniques,” said Xudong (Sherman) Fan, Professor, Biomedical Engineering.

Author|Ananya Sen

drawing of three cells up against a wall behind glass, with two being blue and seeming innocent and the other green in the middle and angry, and scientists judging them and taking notes

A team of U-M researchers, including Sunitha Nagrath, Professor, Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, and Xudong (Sherman) Fan, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, have developed a way of detecting circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream of pancreatic cancer and lung cancer patients.

As tumors develop, they shed cells into the bloodstream. Although these circulating tumor cells are vastly outnumbered by millions of other blood cells, detecting them early can potentially improve treatment outcomes. The original study was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. Read the complete Michigan Medicine story.