Overview
- A Japan-led team from Tokyo City University and the University of Tokyo, with RIKEN and Canon Medical Systems, detailed the work in Nature Communications.
- The living sensor uses engineered epidermal stem cells that express green fluorescent protein when the NF-κB pathway is activated by TNF-α.
- After transplantation onto mice, the graft integrated with host tissue and produced externally visible green fluorescence when inflammation was induced.
- Sensor function persisted for more than 200 days as the engineered stem cells renewed the epidermis without batteries, wiring, or routine replacement.
- The researchers say the strategy could be adapted to other biomarkers but remains early-stage with assessments of safety, invasiveness, immune compatibility, and regulation still required.