Nanoprobes detect and destroy cancer
A scientist from Purdue University has developed a nanoprobe, with many antibodies attached to it (herceptin). It is supposed to be able to locate tumors and might one day be able to directly attack cancer cells.
Joseph Irudayaraj, the scientist, said: “If we have a tumor, these nanoprobes should have the ability to latch on to it. The probe could carry drugs to target, treat as well as reveal cancer cells.”
Nanoscale probes that were created before were based on gold nanorods or magnetic nanoparticles. However, Irudayaraj’s probes use both, and that strengthens their properties.
The probes would be injected into the body through a saline buffering fluid, and the Herceptin would find and attach to protein markers on the surface of cancer cells.
“When the cancer cell expresses a protein marker that is complementary to Herceptin, then it binds to that marker,” said Irudayaraj. “We are advancing the technology to add other drugs that can be delivered by the probes.”
This is an another proof that nanomedicine is growing every day, and it’s on the way to become huge in the near future.
The details are published in Angewandte Chemie.
Adopted from materials provided by purdue.edu
