‘Gold bullet’ to kill breast cancer cells on the anvil
October 28th, 2010 - 11:55 am ICT by ANILondon, Oct 28 (ANI): Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas, are developing a ‘golden bullet’ that will destroy breast cancer tumour cells.
Used with radiotherapy, the tiny shards of gold heat up and destroy the deadly cells that help tumours grow and ease their spread around the body.
When tested in mice, tiny pieces of silica, each thinner than a human hair, were coated in gold and injected into breast tumours.
High temperatures are known to damage the inside of cells, making them more vulnerable to radiation.
The combination treatment, which is known as hyperthermia, not only shrank the tumours but also cut the number of stem cells.
When the team conducted a similar experiment on tumours formed from human cells, the cancer stem cells proved more sensitive to radiation.
“Although the gold nanoshells still require further testing, hyperthermia treatments are already in clinical trials and radiation is a staple of cancer therapy,” The Daily Mail quoted the journal Science Translational Medicine as reporting.
“This suggests the dual hyperthermia-radiation cancer therapy should be amenable to a clinical setting.” (ANI)
- Golden bullet to kill stubborn cancer cells - Oct 28, 2010
- New therapy shows promise against brain cancer - Feb 02, 2011
- Cancer cells can be 'burned up' using magnetic pulses - Dec 06, 2010
- Scientists develop novel tumour busting technique - Dec 07, 2011
- Magnetic pulses can burn cancer cells - Dec 06, 2010
- Vitamin C hastens brain tumour's death - Feb 20, 2012
- Now, remote sensing to kill prostate cancer - Oct 26, 2010
- Soy 'ups radiation's ability to destroy lung cancer cells' - Apr 02, 2011
- Boffins use nanoparticles as destructive beacons to destroy tumours - Jul 22, 2010
- Cure cancer in just two hours - Jan 06, 2012
- 'Satnav' device 'could find cancer tumours in body in just one session' - Feb 07, 2011
- Combo therapy may overcome Herceptin-resistant breast cancer - Mar 14, 2011
- Gene to sabotage breast cancer cells - Feb 28, 2011
- Hormone therapy 'doubles survival chances in men with prostate cancer' - Mar 25, 2011
- Molecule able to fight brain cancer found - Apr 22, 2011
Tags: baylor college of medicine, baylor college of medicine in houston, baylor college of medicine in houston texas, breast cancer, breast cancer cells, breast tumours, cancer therapy, college of medicine, combination treatment, daily mail, golden bullet, high temperatures, human cells, human hair, hyperthermia, journal science, stem cells, tiny pieces, tiny shards, translational medicine