Washington: Scientists in the US assisted
by an Indian origin researcher have developed a "cocktail" of
different nanometre-sized particles that work in concert
within the bloodstream to locate and kill cancerous tumours.
The researchers from California and Massachusetts have
created a system containing two different nanomaterials,
nearly a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human
hair that can be injected into the bloodstream.
While one nanomaterial was designed to find and adhere
to tumours in mice, the second nanomaterial was fabricated to
kill those tumours, the Science Daily reported.
"This study represents the first example of the benefits
of employing a cooperative nanosystem to fight cancer," said
lead author Michael Sailor from the University of California,
San Diego.
When a single drug does not work in a patient, a doctor
will commonly administer a cocktail containing several drug
molecules, co-author Sangeeta Bhatia from Koch Institute
for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT.
She said, "That strategy can be very effective in the
treatment of cancer, where the rationale is to attack the
disease on as many fronts as possible".
Drugs may sometimes work together on a single aspect of
the disease, or they may attack separate functions. In either
case, drug combinations can provide a greater effect than
either drug alone.
Treating tumours with nanoparticles has been challenging
because immune cells called mononuclear phagocytes identify
them and yank them from circulation, preventing the
nanomaterials from reaching their target.
PTI