Image: Human breast cancer cell tagged with quantum dots

Cancer Nanomedicine is developing to cover a wide range of applications from imaging, diagnosing to treating cancers with targeted therapies. Cancer Nanomedicine works on the theory that nanometer sized particles of gold, nanomicelles and quantum dots (QDs) have unique functional properties that differ from other available discrete molecules or bulk materials. These nanomaterials when conjugated with other ligands such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides or small molecules can be used to target tumor cells and microenvironment with incredibly high specificity and affinity. Nanoparticles inherently posses a large surface area. Making them ideal for attaching multiple ligands to to create a single nanoparticle that could be used for both tumor imaging and treatment.

There are several barriers that must be overcome before these new methods can be applied clinically:

Firstly the problem of nanoparticle surface opsonisation must be overcome. Nanoparticle surface opsonisation is the process of attaching proteins and other molecules to the surface of the nanoparticle. At present this process is not efficient enough  with surface ‘fouling’ occurring where nonspecific proteins are attaching to the nanoparticles in place of the desired proteins.

Secondly the problem of nanoparticle tissue retention, targeting and tumor penetration must be addressed. These are all processes that are central to manufacturing an effective diagnostic tool and treatment method using nanoparticles.

Finally and very importantly the issue of nonbiodegradable  nanomaterials containing toxic elements must be investigated. Without an idea of the effects that these particles may have on tissue it would be inconceivable to clinically trial these treatments.

New innovative techniques need to be developed to overcome these stumbling blocks on the road to creating a nanoparticle treatment for Cancer.

To read more about this topic get the free article: Futuremedicine

-CT

The benchmark for analysis of tumours is still through a metastatic solid biopsy unfortunately this approach is difficult to apply in the early stages of cancer. It is thought that by capturing CTCs liquid biopsies could be performed to capture the break-away tumour cells floating in the peripheral bloodstream and allow for earlier detection.

Isolating and detecting these CTCs in the blood is technically very difficult due to their low abundance (a few per millilitre) to a large amount of other cells in the blood.

This hasnt stopped a group of researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the California Nanosystems Institute at UCLA who have developed a system to do just this. They have designed an efficinet cell capture platform based on 3D nanoscale silicon pillars with far higher efficiency then any other method.

This revolutionary cell capture technique has a very viability, which means the cells can be extracted and grown in culture allowing molecular diagnosis of cancer. Ultimately this would allow for earlier detection of cancer. This in itself would allow for a better prognosis with disease diagnosis. As with many types of cancer early detection allows for more successful treatment.

Not only this as measuring abundance of cancer cells in the peripheral blood will allow for monitoring the efficacy of cancer treatments to monitor disease regression. – CT

Source: Nanowerk

Image: Annie Cavanagh, Wellcome images

A new method to enhance drug delivery has been developed at UC Santa Barbara. The method utilizes a biological system of gaining access to cells.

One of the most difficult barriers to cross in drug delivery is the movement of the drug from the circulation into the tissue. This technique provides a ay of achieving this.

A nanoparticle can be attached to the N-terminus of a peptide, which posses a ‘motif’ that allows it to enter the cell. These motifs consist of amino acid sequences containing arginine and lysine, situated at the peptides C-terminus.

The team at UCSB have specifically targeted prostate cancer cells with this technique but reiterate that the technique can be applied to many different cell and tissue types.

This method of delivering the nanoparticles from the circulation into the tissue will increase the efficiency of drug delivery systems.

With another barrier crossed for successful nanoparticle drug delivery the day we may be able to implement these techniques will draw closer. This may prove to be a huge step towards having a fully functioning nanoparticle drug delivery system. – CT

Source: UCSB

A novel development from researchers at Jackson State University utilizes gold nanoparticles to detect a biomarker implicated in Alzheimer’s disease to a 100 fold sensitivity level to anything else that has been developed so far. This could pave the way for incredibly early detection of the neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer’s.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease has abnormally high levels of a highly phosphorylated protein known as tau. Tau is a protein which is involved with microtubule stability.

The role that tau plays in Alzheimer’s is not fully understood but what is known is that is always found highly phosphorylated in brain tissue of Alzheimer’s sufferers. It is hypothesized that it will form aggregates with other tau molecules and possibly cause inflammation in the brain leading to the associated memory loss found in Alzheimer’s disease.

The technique is based on a monclonal antibody (anti-tau), which is conjugated with gold nanoparticles. The monoclonal antibody-nanoparticle complex will aggregate in the presence of the phosphorylated tau. It can then be readily detected by a color change unearthed by detection through two-photo light scattering.

This technique allows far more rapid, reliable and early detection of Alzheimer’s. As it affects currently an estimated 26.6 million people this could be an amazing breakthrough for Alzheimer’s treatment. It will become even more important as the incidence of Alzheimer’s will increase over the next forty years.

This technique coupled with the new genes identified for Alzheimer’s disease could form a potent partnership for new treatments of Alzheimer’s disease which so far have very little to offer. – CT

Source: Nanotechweb.com

The carbon nanotubes are coated in gold, which is then itself coated with a cell targeting bio-agent that ensures specificity to the targeted tissue. In this case the cancer metastasis.

This new method could be used as an alternative to other nanoparticles and fluorescent labels used in non-invasive detection of cancerous cells. It is thought that these specialised nanotubes would be more efficient and less toxic in labeling their targets.

The carbon nanotubes were coated in a thin film of gold due to past concerns about toxicity of nanotubes in vivo. However it was found that once these nanotubes were gold coated they absorbed laser radiation more efficiently and were less toxic. More importantly this meant that very low levels of radiation could be used to detect the nanotubes.

The synthesis process involves the reaction of the carbon nanotubes and gold chloride in ambient temperatures. This technique is said to be very simple and above all environmentally friendly.

A study has been carried out in which the carbon nanotubes have been used as a contrast agent for detecting cancer cells in the lymphatic system. This plays an important role in metastasis.

The golden nanotubes were marked with LYVE-1 a specific receptor found on lymphatic endothelium. They were targeted to these cells as they play an important role in metastasis as they come into contact with tumor cells.

With this technique it was demonstrated that the golden nanoparticles could be used to diagnose and treat the cancer at a cellular level. This entailed both targeting to the lymphatic endothelium and eradication of cancer micro-metastasis in the critical sentinal lymph nodes. This is incredibly important as the sentinal lymph nodes are those reached first by metastasizing cancer cells from a primary tumour.

This development means that in the future it may be possible therapeutically to prevent tumour metastasis with the use of golden coated nanoparticles. – CT

Source: University of Arkansas

The device uses a chip, which is a microfluidic device with electrodes positioned in channels along its length. The blood flows through the device and the count of white blood cells is recorded. The different cells are distinguished by their unique electrical properties. The device can differentiate Monocytes, Neutrophils and T lymphocytes, which are all important for diagnosing varying diseases/illnesses.

It is hoped that integration of red blood cell and platelet count can occur to further enhance the functionality of the device.

What this device means to diagnosis of blood presenting illness is that a fast on the spot preliminary blood test can be carried out at any doctors surgery at a minute cost. As each chip used for an individual person will cost a few pence and the device itself only £1000.

This would eliminate the need for a patient to give a blood sample that must be sent away to a lab for analysis, thus cutting down time of diagnosis. With many diseases of the blood fast detection and intervention is critical. So this device would pave the way for faster treatment and a more cost effective blood screening process. – CT

Source: University of Southampton

A group at the University of Leicester have developed a new method of both diagnosing and treating prostate cancer early.

The technique uses ‘high-performance magnetic nanoparticles’ as probes that can be detected by MRI and can destroy the cancerous cells by hypothermia. This killing by hypothermia allows a much earlier killing of the canerous cells.

The nanoparticles are targeted to specific cell surface receptors making them highly specific to prostate cancer. If this were to be achieved this method could be applied to other aggressive types of cancer (i.e. breast and liver), which depend on early detection and intervention.

It is hoped if this technique is succesful it can reduce the need for having invasive surgery to remove the prostate. This technique would also make treating prostate cancer far cheaper for the UK healthcare system.

Source: Medical News Today

A research team lead by Dr. Hossam Halck at the Israel Institute of Technology have developed standard microprocessor manufacturing techniques to create sensing devices out of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). These SWCNTs are coated with one of ten different non-polymeric, insulating organic materials. Each device reacts in a particular way when exposed to human breath containing 200 or more volatile organic chemicals.

The devices were calibrated using volunteer groups. One group comprised of non-smoking healthy individuals with no known lung cancer, the other group contained a cohort of patients with stage 4 lung cancer. The SWCNT nano-devices were able to clearly distinguish between these two groups. At this present time further trials are taking place with larger groups.

This technology would allow for fast diagnostic testing of lung cancer. This type of test might allow for lung cancer patients response to therapy to be obtained by measuring the response from the nano-device.- CT

Abstract: ACS Publications

Source: NanoMednet

Researchers at UCLA have devised a microfluidic device that can carry out up to 1,024 reactions at the same time. It is thought that this would benefit identification of new drug candidates by vastly accelerating the process of selection.

Previously these chip devices have only been able to carry out a few reactions known as in situ click reactions. The UCLA team have devised a way of splitting the enzyme needed for these reactions to take place allowing many more reactions to take place on one chip even as many as 1,024.

It is hoped that this technology can have an impact in both biological and medicinal study where a fast analysis of trace amounts of material are needed.

Identifying drugs for inhibiting, for instance an enzyme can mean testing hundreds if not thousands of drug candidates, which is time consuming as the drug must have a precise effect on its target to confer its desired effect. This chip would pave the way for identifying new drug candidates; in what is stated to be ‘a few hours,’ making the process of drug development far less expensive in addition to reducing the time needed for finding a suitable drug. A very handy tool for pharmaceutical companies. – CT

Source: Nanomednet

The biggest problem with current tests is how slow they are at diagnosis. The current benchmark test is a skin test that detect immune reactions. This nanodevice test can increase the diagnosis rate. It could be cheaply developed and used around the world as a fast test for TB. The current skin test apart from being relatively slow is known to be unreliable too.

This new quick test would make diagnosis far more reliable and faster at what is hoped to be a much cheaper price per test allowing low income countries to test with this technology. – CT

Source: ION