2012-02-13Killing cancer with nanotubes |
Tumors of different origin may be composed of tumor cells and tumor-initiating stem-like cells. In case of breast cancer, those stem like cells are termed breast cancer stem cells (BCSC). These BCSCs along a disease progression can differentiate into tumor cells. It is common for BCSCs to be resistant to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hyperthermia and other approaches for treating cancers. Use of nanoparticles for killing cancer cells is a growing trend in nanomedicine. Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have demonstrated that injection of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in a triple-negative breast cancer stem cells followed by 30-second laser treatment heating protocol can kill those resistant BCSCs. Most notably, with the use of nanotubes therapy in vivo, authors have observed tumor regression in mice. From the mechanistic perspective it was suggested that multiwall nanotubes most likely promote permeabilization of cell membranes and induce necrosis of BCSCs. Overall, the nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy could be used for killing majority of the tumor volume and eliminating differentiated and stem-like tumor cells, which should lead to decrease of the possibility of recurrence and regrowth.
Source: Andrew R. Burke, Ravi N. Singh, David L. Carroll, James C.S. Wood, Ralph B. D’Agostino, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Frank M. Torti, Suzy V. Torti. The resistance of breast cancer stem cells to conventional hyperthermia and their sensitivity to nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy. Biomaterials, 2012; 33 (10): 2961 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.12.052
Source: Biomaterials
Killing cancer with nanotubes
