Magnetic Nanoparticles Fry Tumors

sciencehabit writes "In a new study, a team found that injecting mice with tiny magnets and cranking up the heat eliminated tumors from the animals' bodies with no apparent side effects. The nanoparticles heat up when a magnetic field is applied, and because they are only injected into tumors, only cancerous cells get fried. Researchers hope the technique, known as magnetic hyperthermia, could be used in cancer patients, obviating the need for chemotherapy and radiation."

Re:Next step..

[LurkerXXX]

That's not a big thing. We've had ways to do this for decades. More than 20 years ago I did work in Photodynamic Therapy (injecting dyes into tumors. When you shine a light on the dyes, they produce oxygen radicals which kill the cells). We have lots and lots of ways to kill a specific tumor. This is just one more of many wrenches in our toolbox.

The hard part is designing a therapy which destroys only tumor cells, while leaving normal cells alone. Preserving needed tissue in critical spots (the brain, etc), while allowing it to hunt down individual rogue cells which may have metastasized and be trying to start a new tumor elsewhere in the body.

That's the the are where we need to focus.

Prostate Cancer

[Penguinshit]

My father had a similar procedure to wipe out his prostate cancer. Metal beads injected into tumor, three low-power radio beams focused on the target, beams combine very focally, beads heat, tumor burns away. Macrophages clean up the mess. Dad totally cancer-free for a decade now and has none of the side effects of surgery. thanks University of Virginia!