Stool that lights up when cancer is present

Researchers in Hamilton, Ontario, are working on what could become an inexpensive, simple, accurate and non-invasive test for colorectal cancer. They are developing fluorescent DNAzymes that will detect cancer markers in stool samples. If cancer is present, the molecules will glow, leading to early treatment and better outcomes for patients. Dr Yingfu Li, a biochemist, and Dr Bruno Salena, a gastroenterologist – both at McMaster University – thought of this novel idea while on the golf course. The doctors work in entirely different fields of science but discovered that they share an interest in early detection of disease. Dr Li has been studying fluorescent DNAzymes for many years, while Dr Salena has been treating patients with colorectal cancer and other bowel diseases. Read more here.