Ecns.cn (March 15) -- Chinese and American scientists have developed a new technique that uses tiny elastic balls filled with fluorescent nanoparticles to better understand the mechanical forces between cells, a move that may predict cancer. In a study published on Monday in the journal of Nature Communication, researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign demonstrated the quantification of 3-D forces within cells living in petri dishes as well as live specimens. Also: Drug Target Review (May 15)