April 1, 2009 -- Gold nanospheres that bake tumors to death by attracting heat of low-powered lasers have been developed by scientists in California. "You could send a person home, have them shine a laser on the specific part of the body with cancer for a couple weeks, and they could be cured of cancer," said Jin Zhang, a professor at the University of California in Santa Cruz who helped develop the nanoparticles. To create the gold nanospheres, the scientists started with nanospheres made from cobalt, then replaced the cobalt atoms with gold atoms, using the same process that turns the calcium in dinosaur bones into fossils. The gold nanospheres are then coated in antibodies that detect, and then latch onto, cancer cells. Related Content:
Once the nanospheres attach to cancer cells their uniform size of 30 nanometers becomes important in destroying the cancer cells. Gold nanospheres of that size respond to a narrow range of infrared light by becoming hot. When the laser is shined onto the skin, the nanospheres heat up to searing temperatures and essentially bake the cancer cells to death. If the gold nanospheres had different sizes, they would respond to different wavelengths of light. To compensate, scientists would have to either add an step to sort the nanospheres by size or inject more of them into the blood stream. To test their idea, scientists intravenously injected skin cancer-ridden mice with a solution of the gold nanoparticles. After four hours the gold nanospheres had used their antibody-antigen to latch onto the harmful cells. Scientists shined a laser beam onto the mice, killing the cancer cells. Get More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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Get the Wide Angle on Nanotech and CancerNanotechnology offers potential for detecting and treating cancer without altering healthy cells. That means targeted death for cancerous tumors without the negative side effects of conventional therapies. We'll take a look at some of these methods and also explore the risks and promises of this new scientific field.
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