Fluorescent peptides help nerves glow in surgery
Sunday, February 6, 2011 - 14:20
in Health & Medicine
Accidental damage to thin or buried nerves during surgery can have severe consequences, from chronic pain to permanent paralysis. Scientists may have found a remedy: injectable fluorescent peptides that cause hard-to-see peripheral nerves to glow, alerting surgeons to their location even before the nerves are encountered.