A new radiation responsive esculin-derived molecular gel has been developed at the City College of New York (CCNY) that can simplify and improve the quality of cancer imaging, according to a release from CCNY.
The molecular gel is derived from horse chestnuts and will enhance the optical photon output in image mapping to better detect cancer. The gel was developed through a study led by George John, professor at CCNY, and in collaboration with Jan Grimm, a physician scientist at the Sloan Ketterin Institute.
“Tailoring bio-based materials to synthesize thixotropic thermo-reversible hydrogels offers image-aiding systems which are not only functional but also potentially economical, safe, and environmentally friendly,” said John.
John and Grimm's study can be found in the November issue of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
“The possibility of developing a topical application from the gel makes this innovation an attractive potential improvement to current techniques of cancer imaging with Cerenkov light,” added Grimm.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.