Nanoparticles kill cancer cells by ... punching

Scientists at Rice University have successfully developed engine-mounted nanoparticles for "perforating" on cell membranes. Depending on whether it is a bad or good cell, this nanoparticle will either destroy or transmit the medicine to them.

According to DigitalTrends, this work is supported and funded by UK researchers and North Carolina State University (USA).

These nanomachines are activated by UV light and drive them through tiny optical fibers.

Gufeng Wang, a chemical analysis professor at North Carolina State University, said: "Our research has shown that nanoparticle machines can be used to find and kill cancer cells. Hopefully in the future, these machines will be used to cure living organisms, including humans. "

"This technology can basically be used as an extremely effective way to put specific drugs into cells, or simply destroy bad cells by disrupting the process. metabolism between them with the environment ".

Professor Wang also said that skin cancer is one of the diseases that can be cured by using tiny nanoparticle machines to kill malignant cells that cause disease. These nanomachines are activated by UV light and drive them through tiny optical fibers. They are like saws, which can rotate at "dizzy" speeds from 2 million to 3 million rings per second to "slice" the cell membrane.

At the present time, there are still certain limitations in nanotechnology. For example, UV penetration is quite shallow, so it can only affect and cure epidermal cells, thereby indirectly limiting the treatment with the above technology in areas such as skin. In addition, excessive " use " of this technology will pose potential risks, because too much UV exposure is harmful.

"We are studying in two different ways to make this technology more usable," Professor Wang added. "First, we are developing an engine that can be activated by visible light, or even infrared (IR). Second, we tried to find a way to activate the engine. By using infrared rays through a process called multi-photon stimulation, in this process (stimulating multi-photons), the motor absorbs two photons (photons) at the same time to get enough energy. If we could use red to infrared light to activate nanoparticles, what limits the treatment on the epidermal surface will be completely erased. " .

It can be said that nanotechnology is growing more and more, and soon we are more likely to achieve significant achievements that may only be seen on sci-fi films, such as pumping the machines. Nano machines (nano machines) enter the body to cure at the molecular level, or even turn humans into cyborgs that can heal themselves, just like in Metal Gear Solid.