French scientists have discovered a species of ant capable of detecting cancer cells in the human body, which could be used for cancer diagnosis in the future.
A team of experts at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has identified the Formica fusca ant as having highly developed olfactory abilities.
This ant can distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells in humans. However, the research team stated that they need to conduct further clinical trials before this insect can be utilized in hospital diagnostics.
Ants can differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells. (Illustrative image – Daily Mail).
They expressed confidence that in the future, ants may have the potential to locate cancer cells in humans better than dogs.
To conduct their research, scientists allowed 36 Formica fusca ants to smell cells in a laboratory environment.
First, they exposed the ants to the scent of a sample of human cancer cells, with a reward of a small sugar solution.
In the second step, the researchers presented the ants with two different scents: one completely new and the other the scent of cancer cells.
After this successful trial, the researchers had the ants interact with various cancer cells. As a result, they found that the ants could distinguish between cancer cells and healthy cells, as well as between two different types of cancer.
After training, the Formica fusca ants detected volatile organic compounds emitted by cancer cells.
In a recent announcement, CNRS stated that before this method can be widely used, they need to reassess its effectiveness through clinical trials on humans.
Nevertheless, initial results show that ants can learn to differentiate scents very quickly, with a high potential to become a low-cost yet effective and less invasive cancer diagnostic option.
The Daily Mail reported that this is not the first time scientists have used animal olfaction to locate cancer cells.
Experts explain that dogs’ noses can diagnose cancer with high accuracy. However, the training period for them can take several months to a year.
On the other hand, insects like ants can be easily raised under controlled conditions and are cost-effective. Ants have a uniformly developed olfactory system among hundreds of individuals.
In the future, they may be trained to perform complex sniffing tasks such as detecting drugs, explosives, spoiled food, or other diseases like malaria, infections, and diabetes.
This groundbreaking discovery was recently published in the journal iScience.
