Cancer Drug’s Effectiveness Tracked Using Fireflies’ Glow

The gene that allows fireflies to flash is helping researchers track the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs over time.UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are among the first to show that a technique called bioluminescence imaging (BLI) can be used to determine the effectiveness of cancer drugs that choke off a tumor’s blood supply.The technique requires a substrate called luciferin to be added to the bloodstream, which carries it to cells throughout the body.

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Filed under: Biology on June 1st, 2008