The Pan Research Group has recently developed a probe made of nanoparticles by crosslinking biliverdin molecules, which are pigments that exist naturally in the body. This probe will be able to detect cancer metastases in lymph nodes without causing toxicity or prolonged accumulation in organs and can disappear after the detection.

In collaboration with Jefferson Chan’s lab in chemistry, the nanoparticles have been tested in breast cancer cell lines, as well as in mice. In both cases, they had no adverse effects. Chan is an associate professor of chemistry and an affiliate in biochemistry in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Read the complete article Developing a Biocompatible Nanoparticle to Visualize Lymph Nodes.

Excerpts from a Beckman Institute article by Ananya Sen