Scientists say they have developed an experimental artificial skin implant that may allow doctors to detect early warning signs of cancer.
The implant, or “biomedical tattoo”, was developed by scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and is designed to look like a mole which darkens in colour if it detects subtle changes in the body.
The “tiny patch lies under the skin and is made of a network of cells which constantly monitor calcium levels in the body”, says The Daily Telegraph. Calcium levels rise when a tumour is developing, and researchers say around 40% of cancers could theoretically be detected early on by using the implant.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It “detects all hypercalcemic cancers at a very early, asymptomatic stage,” lead author Martin Fussenegger told AFP. “If blood calcium levels remain high over longer periods of time, the calcium sensor in the biomedical tattoo cells produces an enzyme, tyrosinase, which converts the amino acid into the black skin pigment, melanin.”
If the wearer notices the spot darken, they should see a doctor to clarify the reason for the change and determine whether treatment is required.
Early detection of cancer increases the chance of survival significantly. For example, nearly all women with stage-one breast cancer survive for five years, but by stage four, survival falls to just 22 per cent, according to Cancer.org.
Fussenegger expects it would take “at least a decade” for the implant to reach the market due to funding issues.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.