Researchers in France say they have successfully trained ants to sniff(嗅) out cancer cells. ln lab experiments, the team finds that the insects, including ants, have a better sense of smell and can quickly learn to notice VOCs(volatile organic compounds), which are released by cancer cells.
To conduct their research, the researchers performed tests with 36 ants, smelling cells under a laboratory setting. The experts exposed the ants to the smell of a sample of human cancer cells. This smell was then related to a reward of sugar solution. Then the researchers exposed the ants to two different smells. One was a new smell and the second was the smell of the cancer cells. Once this test was successful, the researchers exposed the ants to different cancer cells. As such, the researchers found that ants can tell the difference between cancer cells and healthy cells.
This isn't the first time that researchers have used the animal sense of smell to detect or find cancer cells. "Dogs' noses are well suited for medical diagnosis and are used for the test of cancer," the researchers explained. However, training them to do so requires several months to a year. Having high potential, ants are able to learn very quickly at lower cost, and are efficient.
The approach could be adapted to a range of other experiments. However, this research is only the beginning, and there are still difficulties that must be overcome before ants are actually used to discover anything in the real world. For example, it would be necessary to list what VOCs each type of cancer has and to see if ants can really be used in the medical field in the first place. Once those problems are overcome, the day may come when ants will be used to detect cancer.
