New sensor tracks zinc in cells, could be exploited for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

Monday, December 9, 2013 - 17:00 in Health & Medicine

Zinc, an essential nutrient, is found in every tissue in the body. The vast majority of the metal ion is tightly bound to proteins, helping them to perform biological reactions. Tiny amounts of zinc, however, are only loosely bound, or "mobile," and thought to be critical for proper function in organs such as the brain, pancreas, and prostate gland. Yet the exact roles the ion plays in biological systems are unknown.

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