Scientists Destroy 99% of Cancer Cells In the Lab Using Vibrating Molecules (sciencealert.com) 37
Scientists discovered a way to break apart the membranes of cancer cells by stimulating aminocyanine molecules with near-infrared light. Slashdot reader Baron_Yam shares a report from ScienceAlert: The research team from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas, says the new approach is a marked improvement over another kind of cancer-killing molecular machine previously developed, called Feringa-type motors, which could also break the structures of problematic cells. "It is a whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers," says chemist James Tour from Rice University. "They are more than one million times faster in their mechanical motion than the former Feringa-type motors, and they can be activated with near-infrared light rather than visible light."
In tests on cultured, lab-grown cancer cells, the molecular jackhammer method scored a 99 percent hit rate at destroying the cells. The approach was also tested on mice with melanoma tumors, and half the animals became cancer-free. The structure and chemical properties of aminocyanine molecules mean they stay in sync with the right stimulus -- such as near-infrared light. When in motion, the electrons inside the molecules form what's known as plasmons, collectively vibrating entities that drive movement across the whole of the molecule. The plasmons have an arm on one side, helping to connect the molecules to the cancer cell membranes while the movements of the vibrations bash them apart. It's still early days for the research, but these initial findings are very promising. The research has been published in Nature Chemistry.
In tests on cultured, lab-grown cancer cells, the molecular jackhammer method scored a 99 percent hit rate at destroying the cells. The approach was also tested on mice with melanoma tumors, and half the animals became cancer-free. The structure and chemical properties of aminocyanine molecules mean they stay in sync with the right stimulus -- such as near-infrared light. When in motion, the electrons inside the molecules form what's known as plasmons, collectively vibrating entities that drive movement across the whole of the molecule. The plasmons have an arm on one side, helping to connect the molecules to the cancer cell membranes while the movements of the vibrations bash them apart. It's still early days for the research, but these initial findings are very promising. The research has been published in Nature Chemistry.
Excellent news (Score:4, Funny)
I hope I can get a cure-for-cancer attachment for my microwave in a year from Ali Express.
Re: (Score:2)
A microwave would vibrate the water molecules in your body and cook you from the outside in.
What you really want to buy is a gallon of cancer-philic dye and a tanning bed that uses strong near-IR lamps instead of UV. That's probably a big enough box you're going to want someone else to handle importing it, and go with Amazon instead.
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A microwave would vibrate the water molecules in your body and cook you from the outside in.
Molecules do not vibrate in a microwave oven, they spin.
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It'll be in a Temu ad on FB right next to the weird butt exerciser.
Vibrations (Score:2)
I've consistently emphasized that vibrations contribute that extra touch.
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Wow, a cure for cancer! (Score:2)
Let's all drink to that!
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Let's all drink to that!
Alcohol is well known for killing off weaker cells. Not the greatest chemotherapy, but at least your hair doesn't fall out.
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> Alcohol is well known for killing off weaker cells
Links ? All I can find says alcohol is bad for the cells it meets.
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80% Alcohol makes a good hand sanitiser. Can be used in wounds. ... Oh, you wanted a serious answer.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... [nih.gov]
Alcohol does seem to reduce the risk of blood cancers. I guess that is some evidence?
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> I guess that is some evidence?
Well kind of ... ... I admit I'm a bit surprised :
"In summary, it is well established that alcohol use and abuse is associated with a wide variety of cancers, and the number of these associations continues to grow. At the same time, it now is becoming clear that alcohol can have a preventative effect for certain cancers. Whereas the role of alcohol as a carcinogen is well established, the mechanism(s) by which it prevents cancer are largely unknown and an area for further
Good, good, good ... (Score:2)
Good vibrations.
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Good vibrations
I've got a Little Doo Scoop.
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Good thing you don't have a Little Deuce Coupe!
How do they target cancer cells? (Score:4, Informative)
The paper doesn't seem to discuss just how they are going to get these molecules into cancer cells, but not in healthy cells. That seems like the more important issue. After all, if you can get a particular chemical inside of cancer cells, while avoiding healthy cells, there are any number of ways to kill them.
Re:How do they target cancer cells? (Score:5, Informative)
See Targeted Drug Delivery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] One typically tags the drug with antibodies specific to the cancer cell. For example if a melanoma (skin cancer) is spreading, the patient has skin cells in places they should not exist. So doctors use (humanized, monoclonal) antibodies that are selected to bind only to skin cells, attach the molecules using chemistry techniques, and deliver not too far from the place of need. They can also use Chemotactic Drug-Targeting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] and the solutions cited at Drug Delivery to the Brain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] (exosomes, peptides, nanoparticles, etc.).
Competing techniques include:
* Magnetic hyperthermia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] where magnetic nanoparticles are exceited with an AC field and vibrate and literally cook the cells. An improved method is Magnetic drug delivery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] where the magnetic nanoparticles are replaced with non-toxic molecular (organic) magnets.
* Sonodynamic therapy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] , where ultrasounds are applied together with a drug, which only becomes active uder ultrasounds.
These techniques allow to focus the treatment using local application of the excitation, whether the IR light illumination (from TFA), or the magnetic field / ultrasounds in the cited competitors.
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Prostate cells are targeted by taking advantage of PSMA, a specific protein only on prostate cell walls. Attach a radioactive isotope like Lutetium-177 to something that only attaches to the PSMA protein and bingo, you're killing prostate cancer...and prostate cells too. It can also be used with a certain mutation in some people to deliver DNA repair, to turn off the cancer, turning the prostate cancer into normal prostate cells.
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This is a good question. Given that they did try this on mice, it would seem they have some kind of approach for targeting, since they didn't kill the mice, and half of them were cured.
The fact that only half were cured, while the technique kills 99% of cancer cells in the lab, may point to difficulty with targeting.
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Well, if a few healthy cells get caught in the crossfire, that's fine. Killing the patient is the surest way to cure any disease, after all.
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The paper doesn't seem to discuss just how they are going to get these molecules into cancer cells, but not in healthy cells. That seems like the more important issue. After all, if you can get a particular chemical inside of cancer cells, while avoiding healthy cells, there are any number of ways to kill them.
Exactly! Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1217/ [xkcd.com]
Rife (Score:1)
This reminds me of the work of Rife.
He was a understudy of Carl Zeis of lens fame and supposedly made a microscope that used two UV light sources with non linear optics to ox aka like an RF mixer to resolve very fine details of cells.
He then invented a machine that used modulated radio waves to find the resonance point of cancer cells to mechanically destroy them.
Legend has it, the the medical establishment destroyed his equipment, research and work.
There was a professor in Western Australia that resurrecte
Re:Rife (Score:4, Informative)
I'll assume we're talking about this [wikipedia.org] Mr. Rife here. A person who came up with a couple of contraptions that made pretty impressive claims concerning their resolution, most of which are quite impossible due to how optics work. But hey, whenever there's a disease that kills people, there certainly isn't a shortage of quacks promising them the miracle cure.
Like that Australian fellow [wikipedia.org] you mention there.
Re: Rife (Score:2)
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Well, at least they're treating it instead of selling false hope.
You think pharma corps wouldn't jump on the chance of having a cure for cancer? You bet they would. First, it's a billion dollar patent. People would give EVERYTHING to get a shot at it. Because it's literally their life that's on the line here. If you think there's money in treatment, you haven't seen the money in a cure. The reason for this is insurances. Insurances tend to be hesitant to pay for treatments with questionable outcome. If ther
Marketing (Score:2)
If there's any justice, these will be marketed as Acme Earthquake pills [hollywoodreporter.com].
A great chemical weapon (Score:2)
Molecules that stay stable in water and start vibrating and destroying all cells touching them when exposed to near-infrared light? Sounds like the perfect doomsday weapon.
great for skin cancer treatment but ... (Score:2)
what about cancers that thrive in places where the sun don't shine?
Maybe a fine strand of optic fiber would be a solution?
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cancers that thrive in places where the sun don't shine?
Yeah, they sure are a pain in the ass.
Re: great for skin cancer treatment but ... (Score:3)
As someone who had a successful melanoma removal over 20 years ago and had it come back a few years ago, I can assure that not all skin cancer is on the outside. Mine has spread quite well internally and hope I live enough to try any miracle cure such as this.
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From the linked article:
The use of near-infrared light is important because it enables scientists to get deeper into the body. Cancer in bones and organs could potentially be treated without needing surgery to get to the cancer growth.
Apparently, this treatment does work for cancers inside the body.
Can an anal vibrator cure ass cancer? (Score:1)
Oblig (Score:2)
So does a handgun. [xkcd.com]
Maybe! (Score:4, Interesting)
Not yet useful (Score:3)
They only demonstrated that it can kill (cancer) cells. They still need to show that it leaves non-cancer cells unharmed. Basically, they didn't show that it has selectivity, which is the hardest problem. We have tons of ways to destroy cells (bleach for example --ask Trump) --cancer or not, the problem is killing *only* cancer cells while leaving others intact. They need to show that it only kills cancer cells and not other cells. This is still useful if but the most difficult part of cancer treatment .. targeting is not shown.
But how will the industry profit? (Score:3)
My carry-on bag? (Score:2)
Oh, that vibrating coming from my carry-on bag? That is just my chemotherapy, sir.