Luminol used to ID immune inflammation

ST. LOUIS, March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered luminol -- a compound used at crime scenes to make blood residue glow -- can also identify immune inflammation.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis discovered injected luminol glows blue at sites of active immune inflammation in living mice, with the glow detectable by scientific cameras from outside the mice.

The scientists said immune inflammation is thought to be a critical component of arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, including some forms of cancer. Imaging such inflammation non-invasively should help scientists better understand and control it, according to the researchers.

"It's quite striking how specific and sensitive this approach is," said senior author Dr. David Piwnica-Worms. "For example, we have evidence that this technique can highlight inflamed tissue that is on the way to becoming cancerous, but not yet discernible via visual or tactile inspection."

Piwnica-Worms, a professor of radiology, and lead author Shimon Gross, a postdoctoral fellow, note cardiologists now believe immune inflammation is a key component that makes an arterial plaque dangerous. Such inflammation causes platelets to bind to plaques, leading the plaques to rupture or break away and putting the patient at risk of heart attack, stroke or lung clots.

The study is reported in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.