Conquering Cancer with Implants? Bioengineered Vaccines and Magnetic Nanodiscs Show Promise
Summary posted by Meridian on 12/1/2009
Source: Scientific American
Author: Katherine Harmon
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, both in the United States, have developed nano-scale magnets made of iron and nickel that can tackle cancer cells internally. These nanodiscs oscillate when introduced to an alternating magnetic field, damaging the membranes of cancer cells in the lab and causing the cells to die. This method relies on neither heat nor mechanical assault, but on oscillation, "...which triggers the programmed cell-death pathway" while "the total energy necessary to accomplish cell death is minute." The researchers published their findings last week in the journal Nature Materials. The article also discusses research conducted at Harvard University, in the U.S., in which a tiny polymer disk, saturated with dendritic cells and antigens that are tuned to go after tumor cells, is implanted in the body to prompt the immune system to attack the invading cells. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=conquering-cancer-with-impl...
As tagged by Meridian Institute:
Health And Medical:
Devices, Diseases
Implications:
Human Enhancement, Governance
Nanomaterials:
Metal Nanoparticle
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Minerals And Metals:
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