Sniffing Cancer- Honeybee, a potential cancer detector?

Imagine harnessing the super-sense of a honeybee to sniff out lung cancer.

That is precisely what researchers at Michigan State University, United States, have achieved, and the results are buzzing with promise. Honeybees, with their incredible sense of smell, which aids them in navigating the world, reproduction, defence, etc., have now been shown to identify lung cancer in patients, opening up a whole new avenue for early and non-invasive cancer detection.

Back in 2006, Robertson and Wanner estimated that a honeybee can distinguish between 2170 different scents.

This ability allows bees to detect a wide range of volatile chemicals and distinguish even the faintest odours.

So, how does this relate to cancer? Cancer cells produce different metabolic substrates compared to healthy cells in varying concentrations, leading to the release of unique volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These VOCs or 'smells', can be detected in individuals' breaths. When humans exhale, their bodies release these organic compounds, which sensory organs like the nose or equivalent structures (such as antennae in honeybees) can detect.