At the time there was some speculation that a particular fluorescent compound could be used in cancer treatment, but the compound broke apart rapidly in water. (scientificamerican.com)
Nguyen is developing ways to guide surgeons during tumor removal surgery by using fluorescent compounds to make tumor cells — and just tumor cells — glow during surgery, which helps surgeons perform successful operations and get more of the cancer out of the body. (businessinsider.com)
Upon closer examination, the researchers discovered that, over time, fluorescent compounds cover these blue spots, absorbing the glow and re-emitting the energy as red light. (sciencemag.org)