Ants can 'sniff out' cancer tumors in urine, says new study

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A newly published study has announced that ants can detect cancer tumors by smell, thanks to their strong olfactory receptors.

Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences this week, the study shows Formica fusca ants are able to detect tumors by smelling patients' urine.

"Ants can be used as bio-detectors to discriminate healthy individuals from tumor-bearing ones," says Patrizia d'Ettorre, co-author of the study.

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Dr. Jenna Crowe-Riddell

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Then they took urine samples from healthy and tumor-ridden animals.

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The researchers taught the ants to link the scent of tumors with a reward by dabbing a drop of sugar water in front of the urine from cancer-stricken mice.

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The ants' smell association was established in just three training sessions or around 10 minutes overall.

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Ants can 'sniff out' cancer tumors in urine, says new study

HEALTH

BY NERGIS FIRTINA

A newly published study has announced that ants can detect cancer tumors by smell, thanks to their strong olfactory receptors.

HEALTH

Published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences this week, the study shows Formica fusca ants are able to detect tumors by smelling patients' urine.

HEALTH

"Ants can be used as bio-detectors to discriminate healthy individuals from tumor-bearing ones," says Patrizia d'Ettorre, co-author of the study.

HEALTH

Dr. Jenna Crowe-Riddell

The study's lead author, Baptiste Piqueret and his team began by xenografting human breast cancer tumors into mice and allowing them to develop.

HEALTH

Then they took urine samples from healthy and tumor-ridden animals.

HEALTH

The researchers taught the ants to link the scent of tumors with a reward by dabbing a drop of sugar water in front of the urine from cancer-stricken mice.

HEALTH

The ants' smell association was established in just three training sessions or around 10 minutes overall.

HEALTH

More in the article.

HEALTH

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