Scientists create glowing skin grafts for easy health checks
Scientists in Tokyo have invented special skin grafts that light up green when they detect certain signals in your blood—no needles needed.
This tech could make tracking health issues way easier, swapping out some blood tests for a simple visual check.
The research just dropped in Nature Communications, with help from RIKEN and Canon Medical Systems Co.
How does it work—and what's next?
These grafts use modified skin stem cells that glow if inflammation-related proteins show up in your bloodstream.
In mice, the glow lasted over 200 days, demonstrating the potential for nonstop health monitoring without extra gadgets.
Professor Shoji Takeuchi explained, "Unlike conventional devices that require power sources or periodic replacement, this system is biologically maintained by the body itself."
The team hopes to expand this idea to spot other symptoms too, which could be a game-changer for both people and animal research.