Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter smaller than 100 nanometers and taking advantages of properties that are present only at that level, such as conductivity. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, or about one-millionth the size of a pin head. The prefix comes from "nanos," the Greek word for dwarf.Nanotech has been around for several decades, but only now is its potential starting to be realized. Medicine is expected to be one of the fields to benefit most. In cancer, it is hoped the technology will allow for more precisely targeted drugs and surgery and less toxic chemotherapy.
The study, conducted by scientists at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are pioneering cancer nanotechnology, involved engineering nanoparticles embedded with the cancer drug Taxotere. The particles were then injected directly into human tumors created from prostate cancer cell lines and implanted into the flanks of mice.
The technology being tested involves a nanoparticle made of a hydrogen and carbon polymer with bits of drug bound up in its fabric and attached to a substance that hones in on cancer cells. The polymer gradually dissolves, exposing the nuggets of drug little by little.
In mice scientists injected the targeted nanoparticles containing the drug into . .
"The tumor completely disappeared," a researcher said.Injecting targeted nanoparticles into the bloodstream and having them seek out tumors and get inside on their own is still the ultimate goal, but direct injection is also promising for cancers where the tumor is accessible and hasn't spread, such as in early prostate cancer.
Researchers say they hope to be able to test this approach on prostate cancer patients within two years.
Pravda, November 1, 2005.
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