The idea of finding a cure for a deadly illness can sometimes be overwhelming. Many people would shrug off the idea of such cures as impossible. While it may same like a difficult task to find the solution to such ills. Sometimes the answer is in front of us. One such case was jaundice which claimed the lives of many before improvement in science discovered that Vitamin D was the answer to the question. Cancer may not be in the same bracket as Jaundice and in fact it has claimed many more lives. However it seems a group of scientists from across the United States of America, may have stumbled upon something that could finally close the chapter on this deadly topic.
Researchers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon University and Pennsylvania State University have conducted an experiment in which they blasted cancer cells with sound waves. The results revealed that the cancer cells were indeed destroyed by the wave which also simultaneously protected the naturally occurring cells. The new technique is known as cell sorting and is the process of separating different kinds of cells. The ability to isolate tumour cells from the bloodstream has been well received within the medical world.
Using a tiny device, a stream of cells from a patient is exposed to sound waves. The acoustic forces affect the path of each cell differently, pushing the cancer cells up and away from the white blood cells. Researchers claim that this system can help doctors identify rare tumour cells circulating in an individual’s blood stream.
Initial tests of the new technique have been positive, with the sound wave treatment separating 71% of breast cancer cells from a fluid of cancer cells and white blood cells. A patent is currently been secured for the method which experts believe could ultimately cure cancer.
