Dogs sniffing out human disease could lead to new biosensor technology

Description

In case you needed another reason to admire our four-legged friends, dogs trained to sniff out human disease are helping scientists develop medical diagnostic technology.

In the early stages of cancer, or just before having a seizure or dangerous drop in blood sugar levels, a patient's breath, urine and skin smell slightly different.

It's these minuscule odour differences between a healthy and diseased person that a dog's nose can pick up.

Scientists hope harnessing the sensory power of a dog's nose could be used in non-invasive early disease detection.