They discover a "superpower" in bees that serves to detect lung cancer

These findings could be used as a model to develop new tests to diagnose lung cancer, quickly and at low cost.

bees
Honey bees have a very sensitive olfactory system designed to help them in the search for food, reproduction, the care of the offspring and the defense.

Bees are not only essential for pollination and honey production, they also have an extremely developed olfactory system that allows them to detect odors with incredible precision, much sharper than that of humans. This ability was recently tested in the field of medicine to detect human diseases, such as lung cancer, quickly and effectively.

The finding was made by researchers from Michigan State University: they discovered that bees can detect biomarkers or chemical concentrations associated with lung cancer in the human breath. In addition, they showed that bees can distinguish between different types of lung cancer cells using only the "smell" of cell cultures.

harness
In order for bees to perform these tasks, a 3D printed harness was created. Credit: Michigan State University Laboratory

The research was published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.According to experts, these advances could be used as a model to develop new tests to diagnose lung cancer in time.

How does lung cancer screening work?

This type of cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease, mainly because it is often diagnosed at advanced stages. However, the human body emits specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when it is sick, including lung cancer. These VOCs are released into patients' breath, and although they are almost imperceptible to humans, bees can easily detect them.

The process of training bees to identify lung cancer is surprisingly simple since bees are exposed to breath samples that contain the VOCs characteristic of cancer.

Every time they identify these odors, they are given a reward, usually a sugary solution. This classic conditioning method allows bees to learn to associate the smell of cancer with a reward, and after a short period of training, they can accurately identify the cancer.

bee brain
Bee brain with a connected sensor, which detects the stimuli it receives when it comes into contact with the smell. Credit: Michigan State University Laboratory

Compared to traditional methods such as computed tomography and biopsies, the use of bees is much cheaper. No expensive equipment or highly specialized personnel are required, which makes it ideal for implementation in areas with fewer resources.

How effective can the work of a bee be?

Research carried out in several countries has demonstrated the effectiveness of this method. A study in the Netherlands found that bees could identify lung cancer with an accuracy of more than 90%.These results have generated great interest in the medical community, suggesting that bees could become a standard tool for early diagnosis of cancer.

That's why one of the most significant challenges is to ensure the stability and constant availability of trained bees. It happens that bees have a short shelf life and require specific care to maintain their health and effectiveness in the detection of diseases.

Future applications and complementary technologies

Another group of researchers from the same university, but from the Institute of Health Science and Quantitative Engineering of the EMU decided to test the mechanism and took the project to another level. They used different types of human lung cancer cell cultures in closed and airtight bottles and created a sensor based on the bee's brain to test the smell of lung cancer cells.

Researchers have successfully demonstrated that the use of this sensor based on the bee brain can distinguish between small cell lung cancer, non-small lung cancer cells and healthy cells.

Obviously, the potential of bees is not limited to lung cancer. Future research could explore its ability to detect other types of cancer and metabolic diseases, thus expanding the applications of this innovative method.

A bee exposed to an odor sample
A bee exposed to an odor sample with cancer cells. Credit: Michigan State University Laboratory

The combination of bees' olfactory capacity with advanced technologies, such as electronic sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), could further improve accuracy and reduce false positives in medical diagnoses. Electronic sensors that replicate the olfactory sensitivity of bees could be integrated into portable medical devices, providing real-time diagnostics and facilitating access to early diagnoses in various geographical areas.

That bees can detect lung cancer instantly is a significant advance in medicine and has the potential to save countless lives. As research progresses and challenges are overcome, this method could become a standard tool in medical diagnosis.