Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light have studied the thin layer of sugar molecules that covers all human cells, according to Science Daily.
The layer is called the glycocalyx and protects cells from their surroundings.
Using advanced microscopy, the researchers created detailed maps of the sugar molecules found on different types of cells and tissues.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
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The researchers discovered that the sugar patterns change depending on what is happening inside the cell.
Signals from the body
In the study, the researchers observed that immune cells changed their sugar patterns when they became activated.
This happens, among other things, when the body is fighting infections.
The researchers therefore believe that the cell surface could function as a kind of signal that reveals the condition of the cell. The method is called “Glycan Atlasing.”
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The research team will now examine more samples and further automate the technology so that it can eventually be used in healthcare.
Could reveal cancer
The study also showed that sugar patterns differed between healthy and diseased tissue.
Among other things, the researchers were able to distinguish between healthy areas and cancerous areas in breast tissue.
The method also made it possible to differentiate between various stages of disease and between active and inactive immune cells.
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The study therefore suggests that small changes on the surface of cells could one day help detect cancer and other diseases at an earlier stage.
Sources: Science Daily and Nature Nanotechnology.
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