Scientists at Stanford University recently managed to make mouse skin transparent using a common food coloring, which the study’s author says could have interesting benefits for humans once further research is conducted.
The paper, titled “Achieving Optical Transparency in Living Animals Using Absorbing Molecules,” was published in the journal Science on September 5.
The researchers used a solution of red tartrazine, a food coloring known as FD&C Yellow 5, on the abdomen, scalp and hind limb of a sedated mouse, a Stanford University statement said.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSES BILL TO BAN SOME FOOD PRODUCTS AS NUTRITIONISTS WORRY ABOUT ‘DISGUSTING’ INGREDIENTS
The dye turned the mouse’s skin red, which then turned the skin transparent — and the mouse’s organs were visible to the naked eye, the statement said.
“The researchers believe this is the first non-invasive approach to make the living internal organs of a mouse visible,” the statement said.
A solution containing tartrazine – also known as Yellow 5 – turned the mice’s skin transparent. (iStock)
The effects were not permanent, Stanford said — the mice’s skin returned to normal once the dye was removed.
The results of the study even surprised the researchers.
“The most surprising thing about this study is that we generally expect dye molecules to make things less transparent. For example, if you mix blue ink with water, the more ink you add, the less light can pass through the water,” Dr. Guosong Hong, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and the study’s lead author, said in an email to Fox News Digital.
CONSUMPTION OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS IS LINKED TO A HIGHER RISK OF DEATH FROM OVARIAN AND BREAST CANCER: NEW STUDY
However, when tartrazine is dissolved in skin or muscle – normally opaque materials – “the material becomes clearer – but only in the red part of the light spectrum,” he said.
“This goes against what we generally expect from dyes,” Hong added.
This image, provided by Stanford University, shows how the mouse became transparent after a non-invasive solution of a common food coloring was applied to the mouse’s abdomen. (Stanford University)
Although this study was only done on animals, the ability to make skin temporarily transparent “could offer a variety of benefits in biology, diagnostics and even cosmetics,” Hong told Fox News Digital.
He added: “For example, instead of resorting to invasive biopsies, doctors might be able to diagnose deep tumors simply by examining a person’s tissue without resorting to invasive surgical removal.”
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
“This technique could potentially make blood draws less painful by helping phlebotomists easily locate veins under the skin. It could also improve procedures like laser tattoo removal by allowing more precise targeting of pigment under the skin,” he said.
FD&C Yellow 5 is found in many foods, including soda, candy, chips and baked goods, including Doritos, the product’s website says.
Although Doritos — and many other foods — contain Yellow 5, it won’t make a person’s skin transparent, Hong told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
However, a person should not rub dyes into their hair just yet, Hong said.
“We strongly advise against attempting this on human skin because the toxicology of dye molecules in humans, particularly when applied topically, has not been fully evaluated,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Human skin, Hong said, is “significantly thicker than mouse skin,” and the outer layer of the epidermis is a “substantial barrier that prevents efficient delivery of molecules into the dermis.”
But it could become a reality soon.
For more lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle
“A safe method of percutaneous administration of light-absorbing molecules, after a comprehensive evaluation of its potential effects on human skin, could lead to its clinical application in the future,” he said.
Fox
