New Nanoparticle Cancer Therapy

quixote9 tips us to a BBC story on a promising new cancer therapy using targeted nanoparticles. From the article: "The researchers used the nanoparticles to zero in on the network of blood vessels that supply the tumors in mice with nutrients and oxygen... [They] developed a technique for amplifying [the nanoparticles'] homing ability by designing a multifunctional nanoparticle that binds to a protein structure found only in tumors and associated blood vessels... The tests showed that within hours of the injection, the artificial platelets began blocking the supply without harming normal tissues. The scientists believe the nanoparticles could also be used to carry drugs to the tumor."

Smart-recreation.

[Anonymous Coward]

The scientists believe the nanoparticles could also be used to carry drugs to the brain.

Marijuana

Halfway there, maybe

[Lurker2288]

I wonder what happens when the tumor is gone and a tiny little lump of clustered nanoparticles is free to float around on its own. Stroke, anybody? I'm not a doctor, but they're probably going to need to find a way to dissolve these artificial clots when they finish with the therapy, or they'll cause all sorts of circulatory problems.

Re:When

[Hijacked Public]

It would certainly seem like cancer has been cured many times over, particularly if you get your medical news from Slashdot, where there is both a tendency to react to mostly theoretical research as if it would be available on the shelf tomorrow and a strong desire to place on the front page any article with any mention at all of nanoparticles, or nanobots, or nanos in general.

Re:Halfway there, maybe

[Dan Slotman]

You probably end up pissing them out or something equally boring. As far as unbound particles go, if they stay in your bloodstream forever, that would be a good thing. No new tumors.

Re:When

[Swimport]

I will admit its definitely possible that a company would rather treat someone at high cost for the rest of their life than cure them. However if they had the cure for cancer they could charge whatever they want for it. $250,000 $500,000 who knows. Also if a company was sitting on the cure for cancer, who knows, maybe a noble scientist would leak it.

target cancer stem cells too maybe?

[theshowmecanuck]

I was thinking about the last big cancer breakthrough that said doctors were targeting the wrong thing when trying to fight cancer for the last however many decades. They try to kill the tumour but leave the cancer stem cells that perpetuate the disease. That's why when they remove the tumour, the cancer just eventually grows back. If they can target the cancer stem cells with the nano-particles that would be cool. Get rid of the the symptoms and the disease.