Using nanocells to fight cancer

Filed in archive Investigational on July 27, 2005

MIT has come up with the science of nanocells to treat cancer. A very interesting approach indeed:

The MIT team tackled the problem by creating a structure for the nanocell that resembled a balloon within a balloon.

The researchers loaded the outer membrane of the nanocell with an anti-angiogenic drug and the inner balloon with chemotherapy agents.

They also created a surface chemistry which allowed the nanocell to evade detection by the immune system.

The nanocell was made small enough to pass through tumour vessels, but too large for the pores of normal vessels.

Once inside the tumour, the nanocell's outer membrane disintegrates, rapidly deploying the anti-angiogenic drug.

The blood vessels feeding the tumor then collapse, trapping the loaded nanoparticle in the tumor, where it slowly releases the chemotherapy.

("Nanocell's double hit on cancer", BBC, Jul.27)