Researchers in India are training dogs to sniff human breath for chemical clues that may be associated with cancer. The Dognosis team is pairing the dogs’ extraordinary sense of smell with sensors and artificial intelligence to study whether their reactions can eventually support a non-invasive way to identify people who need further testing.
The work is still experimental, and larger studies are needed before it can become a dependable medical tool. Even so, it is an intriguing example of researchers building on an animal ability to explore a problem that matters deeply: giving more people a chance to find disease earlier.