Glowing nanoparticles show where the tumor is
Nanoparticles that glow can significantly help surgeons to see where the actual tumor is, thus making it relatively easy for them to remove it. These nanoparticles are called Cornell Dots (or C Dots). Originally, Cornell Dots were created by Hooisweng Ow, a graduate student at Cornell.
Scientists from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center performed a research which showed that C dots are safe to use, and small enough to be easily transported across the body.
A C Dot is made out of several dye molecules encased in a silica shell that can be as small as five nanometers in diameter. The silica shell, essentially glass, is chemically inert. C Dots get coated with polyethylene glycol which actually protects them from being recognized by the body as foreign substances, giving them more time to find targeted tumors. The cluster of dye molecules in a single dot fluoresces under infrared light much more brightly than single dye molecules, showing a surgeon exactly what needs to be cut out.
“Highly sensitive and specific probes and molecular imaging strategies are critical to ensure the earliest possible detection of a tumor and timely response to treatment,” said Michelle Bradbury, the leading researcher.
The details are published in Nano Letters.
Source: news.cornell.edu
