Nanotechnology brings drugs to kill cancer cells

For the first time, Australian scientists introduced drugs directly into cancer cells using nanotechnology. The therapeutic effect has been demonstrated in primates. As expected, human testing will be done later this year.

On May 10, EnGeneIC Biotechnology Company (Australia) said it is successfully developing a method of directing anticancer drugs to cancer cells.

According to the team, this method applies nanotechnology, in particular using micro tools, smaller than the size of human cells.

Test results on primates show that the number of cancer cells is significantly reduced.In the picture: breast cancer cells.(Photo: Reuters)

In a report in the US-based Cancer Cell, the company said it had designed drug-containing nano cells to treat cancer patients with chemotherapy ( chemotherapy), to avoid the dangerous toxicity that drugs can cause to patients.

According to the company, the application of nanotechnology to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells will allow the use of doses thousands of times less than conventional chemotherapy. In addition, this new method also makes it easier for the patient to tolerate the drug.

Through antibodies on their surface, nano cells will approach cancer cells, stick to them and penetrate inside to release drugs.

The company says these nanoparticles are derived from bacteria and are called the EnGeneIC ' drug delivery vehicle '. Test results of these 'smart' cells in primates show that the number of cancer cells has decreased significantly during treatment. As expected by the Company, after being approved by the authorities, the testing of the ' drug delivery vehicle ' EnGeneIC on humans will be carried out later this year in Australia, America, Japan and Europe. Europe.

Scientist Jennifer MacDiarmid, a member of the research team, said: 'This is the first time that nanotechnology has made a real possibility for direct introduction of multiple chemotherapy drugs at the same time. inside cancer cells'.

Ms. Jennifer said: 'In most end-stage cancer patients, there is a lot of different forms of resistant cancer cells, which make it very difficult to treat. Now, with this new method, we were able to provide a 'inside cell' solution for the first time to overcome that situation. '

Quang Thinh