Indian Scientists Innovate Light-Based Probe to Detect Cancer Cells

### Quick Summary
– A research team has developed a novel fluorescent probe, SLY (Sialyl Lewis Yellow), capable of identifying hepatocellular carcinoma tissue with precision.
– SLY targets specific glycans-sLe^x and sLe^a-that are highly expressed in liver and colorectal cancer cells, making them promising diagnostic markers.
– the probe binds to these glycans, gets internalized by cells via caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and accumulates in the mitochondria.
– In vivo and ex vivo studies confirmed that SLY selectively labels cancerous tissue with high fluorescence contrast. It can clearly delineate tumor margins within liver tissues, outperforming conventional probes.
– This innovation could advance glycan-based cancer diagnostics and also applications in fluorescence-guided surgery and precision medicine.

### Indian Opinion Analysis
The development of the SLY fluorescent probe signifies an important leap forward in cancer diagnosis technology. Its ability to precisely target sialylated glycans overexpressed in certain cancers offers India a potential tool for more accurate detection methods. This aligns well with the global shift toward adopting precision medicine, which is particularly relevant given India’s high liver disease rates linked to hepatitis infections-a notable public health challenge within the country.

If this technology becomes accessible to Indian diagnostic facilities or researchers under collaboration programs or commercialization agreements, it could improve early intervention outcomes for cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma.Rigorous clinical trials would be necessary for adaptation within India’s medical context; however, this advancement demonstrates how innovations emerging from international collaborations can lead to potentially transformative healthcare solutions globally.

[Read More](https://phys.org/news/2025-07-cancer-scientists-probe-yellow-tumor.html)