Transparent mouse could improve cancer drug tests
BBC NewsJul 24, 2023
The Facts
Scientists at the Helmholtz Munich research center have developed a new scanning technique using transparent mice that can revolutionize cancer treatment by detecting tumors that have previously been far too small to identify.
Prof. Ali Ertürk first created a way to turn mice translucent in 2018, and his team at Helmholtz Munich has chemically highlighted certain tissues, enabling them to scan mice with unprecedented precision. The new technique has only been used on dead mice but can provide information on cancer progression.
The Spin
Narrative A
Mice are an integral part of scientific research, and mouse-involved studies have been the bedrock of some of the most important discoveries relating to the human body. The latest study involving transparent mice could be yet another indispensable contribution, as researchers will now be able to detect cancerous tumors at the most microscopic levels and study their progression. Additionally, the imaging and videos from the new method will allow extensive research while greatly reducing the number of animals used in scientific studies.
Narrative B
Humans have been abusing mice and other animals for their own curiosity for far too long without any regard for the damage and abuse they are inflicting on innocent animals. Researchers inject mice with cancer and genetically alter them in unimaginable ways. There must be other methods developed to advance medical research in more humane ways without utilizing mice and other laboratory animals.