Spark Award 2020
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The winning technology: Chemical tools for fibrosis and tumour imaging
In fibrotic diseases or cancerous tumours, an uncontrolled amount of tissue often forms. This process involves the enzyme LOX, which initiates the cross-linking of collagen proteins into tissue. Matthew Aronoff and Helma Wennemers are using LOX to make tumour tissue visible. They have developed a fluorescent marker that accumulates where LOX is active, which should allow surgeons to distinguish the tumour from healthy tissue during operations. ETH news
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