Researchers at London’s Imperial College discovered a self-assembling nanoparticle that targets tumors and helps earlier diagnosis for cancer.
The nanoparticle makes MRI scanning more effective by specifically finding the receptors found in cancerous cells. A special protein coating looks for the signals given off by tumors, and the following interaction that occurs between the nanoparticle and the tumor strips the nanoparticle of its coating. This, in turn, causes the nanoparticle to self-assemble into a larger, more visible particle.
Results from a study in the Angewandie Chemie say that the nanoparticle increases the sensitivity of MRI scanning, ultimately allowing doctors to detect the cancerous cells much earlier in development; a crucial aspect to the treatment of cancer.
Professor Nicholas Long, a researcher in the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College in London notes the positive effect such a discovery has on cancer research. “We are aware that some doctors feel that even though MRI scanners are effective at spotting large tumors, they are perhaps not as good at detecting smaller tumors in the early stages,” said Long. “By improving the sensitivity of an MRI examination, our aim is to help doctors spot something that might be cancerous much more quickly. This would enable patients to receive effective treatment sooner, which would hopefully improve survival rates from cancer.”
The next step is improving the nanoparticle with the hope that human testing trials can begin in the next three to five years.
“We would like to improve the design to make it even easier for doctors to spot a tumor and for surgeons to then operate on it,” said Professor Long. “We’re now trying to add an extra optical signal so that the nanoparticle would light up with a luminescent probe once it had found its target, so combined with the better MRI signal, it will make it even easier to identify (cancerous) tumors.”
| Invention | Researchers Find Nanoparticle Can Make MRI Scanning More Effective |
|---|---|
| Organization | London’s Imperial College |
| Researcher | Nicholas Long & Team |
| Field(s) | Research, Cancer, Nanotechnology, Science |
| Further Information | www.rdmag.com/news/2014/07/self-assembling-nanoparticle-could-improve-mri-cancer-scanning |
Image courtesy of Dollarphotoclub.com
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