How it works

Has our way of detecting diseases changed to become more efficient? Well, let’s find out. Scientists at Wenzhou Medical University in China developed a new technique for detecting illness, which uses human tears to identify eye diseases and even early signs of diabetes. The researchers discovered that different types of dry-eye disease produce unique molecular fingerprints in tears and that tears could potentially be used to monitor the progression of diabetes in patients. The technique involves:

  • Collecting tears and adding them to a device with two nano porous membranes.
  • Vibrating the membranes.
  • Sucking the solution through allows small molecules to escape and leaves exosomes behind for analysis.Tears

How it connects to AP bio

The technique for detecting disease using human tears connects to AP Biology in several ways. First, exosomes, small vesicles found in tears, play an essential role in immune system function. Exosomes are involved in the communication between immune cells and can facilitate the transfer of immune-related molecules between cells. Additionally, the mechanism by which exosomes are collected from tears using nano porous membranes is similar to how viruses can latch onto and enter host cells. In this way, the research on exosomes in tears highlights the complex interactions between the immune system and viruses, which is an essential topic in the study of immunity, as we learned in AP Biology.

Stromal lipofuscinosis of the seminal vesicle -- extremely low mag

What can this do for our future?

Ultimately, this efficient method of disease testing using tears has the potential to speed up the diagnostic process and improve patient outcomes significantly. Doctors can make faster and more accurate diagnoses by providing a quick and non-invasive way to gather important information about a patient’s health, potentially leading to earlier treatment and better patient outcomes. Additionally, the ability to test for diseases at home using just a few drops of tears could help to identify and address health issues before they become more serious, potentially saving lives in the long run. But the most important reason is that you will feel no pain because you won’t have to get your blood taken!!!!!!!!