NanomedicineCenter.com

Laser to remove cancer cells easily?

A micro laser has been developed at the University of Texas, Austin. The laser has the ability to destroy a single cell, without damaging the surrounding elements. This will dramatically increase the precision in removing “bad” cells (mainly cancer cells).

“Bad cells are easily removed through a 3D interface without damaging the nearby cells.” said Professor Adela Ben-Yakar.

Femtosecond laser is able to produce an extremely strong light and can remove the targeted cell so quickly that the laser has no time to damage the surrounding tissue. A femtosecond laser has already been developed for commercial use — for a few eye surgeries.

Apart from this research, the researchers at the University of Texas are also working on nanoparticles and their use in reaching the targeted cells. In a last-year research, they have proven that golden nanoparticles are very useful.

Malaria will be history ?

University of Queensland and University of Washington are going to be launching a new research after they have gotten the $650,000 from the National and International Research Alliance Program.

„Detection of the pathogentic factors of malaria and dengue fever is our first target.“, said Paul Greenfield. „Down the line the research is going to be spread across many branches of medicine, biosecurity and pharmaceuticals.“

„Our researches are pioneers of the so called „nano-barcodes“. They take read-outs from them electronically and get information about targeted molecules. The practical use of this is that it’s cheaper, more accurate and way easier to use than most techniques.“

The research is being lead by great scientists such as Dr Krassen Dimitrov and Dr Daniel T Schwartz.

Nanomedicine enhances effects on injectable drugs

Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, recently presented a brand new multistage delivery system (MDS) for threapeutic applications and imaging. Injectable drugs would be way more effective by using this discovery.

„This is next generation nanomedicine“, he said. „We are now making complex nanostructures to elude the natural defences of the body, to locate tumors and such and release a load of therapeutics and/or constrasting agents.“

Drug delivery systems are predicted to be revamped by using nanomedicine. „The field of threapeutic nanoparticles begun with liposomes which are used in cancer clinics all over the world. The molecules we’re after were added to liposomes to help in directing them to „bad“ cells“, said Ferrari.

It is estimated that 1 of every 100000 molecules reaches it’s desired location. Therefore, getting drugs to their targets isn’t an easy task. The multistage approach is needed to bypass the body’s natural defences. Besides that, Ferrari’s team is also working on bio modifications to bring the MDS to cancer lesions.

Ennio Tasciotti, Ph.D., and Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., both said that this study wouldn’t have been possible without the effort of physicists, chemists, engeneers and mathematicians. The study has been partly supported by the NCI.