TOKYO, Nov. 7 (PNA/Kyodo) — A Japanese research team has succeeded in turning mice transparent by administering them with special chemicals, a process the scientists say allows the observation of organs without dissection and contributes to studying progression of such diseases as cancers and diabetes.
The team comprised of researchers at the government-backed Riken institute and the University of Tokyo published the findings Thursday in the U.S. scientific journal Cell.
The process involves perfusion of the mice’s organs with a chemical cocktail — dubbed CUBIC — that decolorizes blood efficiently. By subjecting the organs to CUBIC through blood vessels, the team was able to turn entire adult mice as well as specific organs transparent in 10 to 14 days. (PNA/Kyodo)