Science View S2013E14 - A Cure Before Illness? Small Blood Molecule Secrets

The blood that circulates in our own bodies contains substances that can help warn of the presence of disease very early. Called metabolites, they are tiny - at up to only a nanometer in diameter. About 300 types are known, but they are formed in only minute quantities. If we succeed in identifying how they are created, they could be used as markers for disease. This includes a disease that often afflicts drinkers, and a common mental condition you might know. A team led by Nobel Prize winner Koichi Tanaka is also working in this area using an enhanced antibody to capture disease-related substances in the blood. Learn about the great progress being made in this field that could transform medicine.