Research Of Semut Excerts Able To Detection Of Cancer In Urine

Ant illustration. (Unsplash/Prabir Kashyap)

JAKARTA - Scientists found the ants were able to detect cancer from a person's urine aroma, when a number of cancers were known to be able to change the smell of urine.

The findings published in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences' reveal that ants can be used as a cost-effective way to identify cancer in patients.

"It can only be used as a biodetector to distinguish healthy individuals from those with tumors," said study author Prof. Patrizia d'Ettorre of Sorbonne Paris Nord University in Paris, France, as reported by The National News on January 25.

"They are easy to train, learn quickly, very efficiently and not expensive to maintain," he continued.

The study is based on previous research by Prof. d'Ettorre and colleagues, where they show that ants are capable of "creating" human cancer cells that grow in laboratories.

For current studies, the researchers described 70 ants belonging to a species known as Formica fusca to urine from mice with and without tumors.

After three trials, the ants were able to distinguish between the urine smell of healthy mice and mice that had tumors.

Ants have a very sensitive smell system, the researchers said.

"We train them with associative learning to associate certain odors - cancer - with gifts and, after a few experiments, they study the association," said Prof d'Ettorre.

"This is more like a real-life situation, than using a cultured cancer cell. We are surprised by how efficient and reliable the ants are."

From there, researchers want to see if ants can do the same with human urine.

Previous research shows dogs can detect cancer through the smell of urine after being trained.

There are also electronic devices that can detect certain types of cancer, such as the bladder, breast, or prostate, from urine samples.