Pioneering microscope sees spread of cancer

By EMMA COWING
Published on Sunday 5 February 2012 00:00

A NEW state-of-the art microscope will revolutionise the detection and treatment of cancer in Scotland by giving scientists the ability to track rogue cells as they move around the body.

The £400,000 microscope, one of only two in the world, uses “vibrational” images to allow researchers to see deep into active cancer cells, giving a unique view of how the disease spreads.

Most cancer deaths are caused when diseased cells migrate within the body – a process called metastasis – and develop as secondary tumours. The new equipment will help researchers establish if a cancer has spread, and whether drugs might prevent this.

The microscope is currently under construction at the Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre at the city’s Western General Hospital. The only other microscope of its type is housed at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Cancer Research UK scientist Dr Alan Serrels is building the microscope with colleague Andy Downes from the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh.

Serrels said: “This microscope allows researchers to see what’s going on deep within living tissue. By spying on the inner workings of cells in this way, it will reveal clues as to how cancers grow and spread, as well as allowing scientists to directly witness the effects of treatments on tumours.

“The work will significantly improve our understanding of metastasis and reveal opportunities to develop new treatments to stop cancer in its tracks.”

The device is the size of a normal desk microscope and allows scientists to examine living cells taken from cancer patients. It uses near-infrared light to pick up the energy of vibrating molecules and convert those vibrations into images. Scientists can then see deeper inside cancer cells and tissues than was previously possible and are able to track how and why cancers spread from one part of the body to another. Current microscopes can also examine cancer cells but in much less detail.

It is hoped the technology will eventually lead to the development of new treatments to stop the disease spreading.

Serrels said: “This will give us a far greater picture of cancerous tumours and how they react to the environment around them, and how drugs can influence that. It should move our research forward significantly. Before, we could only scratch the surface. This microscope will allow us to have a much more detailed research programme.”

A spokesman for the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre said: “One of the biggest challenges in successfully treating cancer is preventing it from spreading around the body, and keeping cancer that has already spread at bay.

“Most cancer deaths are caused when cancer cells travel to a new site within the body and grow as secondary tumours. The microscope allows us to pioneer the use of high-resolution imaging to better understand how cancer cells spread and probe the molecules involved.”

The microscope will also allow scientists to look at the impact cancer drugs have on tumours in a way that has not been possible before, allowing them to watch how and why a drug has an impact on cancer cells.

A fundraising campaign is currently under way to raise money to further develop the use of the microscope. Around £340,000 has already been provided by Cancer Research UK with supporting funds from the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit and the University of Edinburgh and a fundraising night will take place at Dundas Castle, near Edinburgh, in May to raise further monies.

Maryla Green is chairwoman of the Caledonia Events Committee, which is organising the fundraising.

Green said: “When we learnt about the microscope and what it can do we were completely blown away. So many people have been touched by cancer – and by so many different types of cancer – and a piece of equipment like this can benefit all of them. It’s something that is both universal and unique and that people can relate to. The proceeds of the evening will be going towards the funding of this groundbreaking equipment.”

In Scotland, around 30,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, with that figure expected to rise to 35,000 by 2016.

Figures released last week by Cancer Research UK suggested the number of cases of cancer in the UK could soar by up to 30 per cent by 2030, with an estimated 396,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in 2030 compared to 304,000 in 2008. The rise is attributed to an ageing population, higher levels of obesity and alcohol consumption, and lower levels of exercise.

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