A team of international scientists has developed a breakthrough treatment which could kill cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.
‘Intelligent’ nanoparticles created by scientists from the University of Surrey and Dalian University of Technology in China, become hot enough to destroy cancer but don’t then increase in heat and damage healthy tissue. This self-regulatory ability, where the nanoparticles can be controlled at the optimum temperature – between 42°C to 45°C – for attacking tumours, make it a potential game-changer for hyperthermic-thermotherapy.
“This could potentially be a game-changer in the way we treat people who have cancer. If we can keep cancer treatment sat at a temperature level high enough to kill the cancer, while low enough to stop harming healthy tissue, it will prevent some of the serious side effects of vital treatment,” explained Professor Ravi Silva, Head of the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey.
“It’s a very exciting development which, once again, shows that the University of Surrey research is at the forefront of nanotechnologies – whether in the field of energy materials or, in this case, healthcare.”
