NANOTECHNOLOGY TO TREAT CANCER

Nanotechnology To Treat Cancer
U.S. - A team of researchers from Harvard University and the Institute of Technology Massachusetts (MIT) has developed a new way of treating cancer by administering the treatment only to diseased cells without killing cells.

Current treatments against cancer certainly target the diseased cells but also reach those in good health. This new treatment will prevent the growth of cancer cells with cytotoxic agents, while preserving tissue not involved.

This team of researchers led by Dr Basu has made chemically modified nanoparticles to target and prevent signaling pathway proteins providing cellular proliferation. By blocking these signaling pathways, cancer cells were not able to multiply.

Nanoparticles target cancer cells while and allow chemotherapy agents act directly on them. Targeting only those cells and predispose them to receive treatment would use doses of medication weaker and more tailored to the patient. Side effects are less evident and treatment easier to live for the patient.

Tests performed in the laboratory, combining nanoparticles and a drug cisplatin (which is used to treat several types of cancer) have demonstrated the effectiveness of this process to inhibit the development of cancerous cells and even kill them. Tests on mice with melanoma have also proved inconclusive. In the group of mice treated with the combination of nanoparticles and the drug, 50% of mice had their tumors regress, no cons in the group treated with medication alone.