Prevention of Cancer by Nanoparticles

Nano-sized particles have been shown to penetrate cells and deliver drugs directly to cancerous tumors. These particles are called nanoparticles because they are smaller than 100 nanometers (nm) in size. In comparison, a human hair is about 80,000 nm wide.   A study published in the journal Nature Medicine showed that mice injected with nanoparticles containing paclitaxel were able to survive longer than those who did not receive the treatment. Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat breast, ovarian, and lung cancers.  Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Pharmacy demonstrated how nanoparticles could be used to deliver chemotherapeutic agents to cancerous tumors. They tested their method on mice with brain tumors and found that the nanoparticle-based treatments reduced tumor volume by 50 percent compared to untreated controls.

Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston developed a technique to create nanoparticles that can detect and destroy cancer cells. By attaching antibodies to the surface of the nanoparticles, researchers were able to target specific types of cancer cells. When these nanoparticles entered the cells, they released a substance that destroyed the cancerous cells. Researchers at the University College London discovered that nanoparticles can be used to deliver therapeutic substances to the brain. They created a nanoparticle that was coated with a protein that binds to receptors on the blood vessels surrounding the brain. Once inside the brain, the nanoparticle releases its payload. Scientists at the University College London also discovered that nanoparticles can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. They used magnetic fields to guide the nanoparticles to the desired area of the brain.   Researchers at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland discovered that nanoparticles can help prevent the spread of cancer. They found that injecting nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel into the bloodstream prevented metastasis in mice with breast cancer.

Scientists at the University at Buffalo in New York created a nanoparticle that can be used to diagnose and treat prostate cancer. They attached a radioactive material to the particle and then injected it into the bloodstream of mice with prostate cancer. The radioactive material allowed doctors to use radiation therapy to kill the cancerous cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. Scientists at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands developed a nanoparticle that can deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancerous cells. They tested their method in mice with colon cancer and found that the nanoparticles increased survival time by 30 percent. 

Scientists at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland developed a nanoparticle that delivers a combination of two different chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells. They tested their technique in mice with lymphoma and found that the nanoparticles increased survival time by 60 percent.  Scientists at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium developed a nanoparticle that targets cancer cells without harming healthy ones. They tested their method using mice with leukemia and found that the nanoparticles killed 99 percent of the cancerous cells. However, the nanoparticles had no effect on healthy cells.