How butterfly wings could help advance cancer research: UCSD study
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered a unique way to analyze the extent of fibrosis using butterfly wings.
The team specifically used the wings of the Morpho butterfly. Aside from being one of the largest butterflies in the world, the Morpho butterfly is known for its iridescent, bright blue wings that span from five to eight inches wide.
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According to Lisa Poulikakos, the senior author of the study and a professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, it can be difficult to determine whether a patient's cancer is in an early or advanced stage due to the limitations of current clinical techniques.
These methods often require staining tissues or more expensive imaging equipment.
Poulikakos and her team realized studying the double refraction and structure of Morpho butterfly wings gave them more insight into the fibrous tissue in cancer biopsy samples without the need for chemical staining or imaging equipment.
The unique method was first brought up by Paula Kirya, a mechanical engineering graduate student at UC San Diego who had previously studied the Morpho butterfly's wings while she was an undergraduate student at Pasadena City College.
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'In many parts of the world, early cancer screening is a challenge because of resource limitations,' Kirya said. 'If we can provide a simpler and more accessible tool, we can help more patients get diagnosed before their cancers reach aggressive stages.'
Kirya and her colleagues learned that a Morpho butterfly's wing reacted strongly to polarized light, while collagen fibers found in fibrous tissue had a weaker interaction.
By placing a cancer biopsy sample over a piece of a butterfly wing, the team found this method made it easier to analyze collagen fibers and perhaps would help speed up a patient's cancer diagnosis.
Although the current study mainly looked at breast cancer samples, the researchers believe the method could also be used to analyze a wider range of fibrotic diseases.
The full findings can be found in Advanced Materials.
The study was co-authored by Jing Yang, a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine's Departments of Pharmacology and Pediatrics, and Aida Mestre-Farrera, a postdoctoral scientist.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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