Nanoparticles ‘can treat cancer’
Hollow gold nanospheres could be highly-effective in the fight against cancer, recent research has suggested.
According to a report presented at a recent American Chemical Society meeting, the tiny man-made gold particles – which are thousands of times narrower than a human hair - can identify and ‘cook’ cancer cells.
When exposed to a powerful light, the nanosphere heats up - damaging the nearby cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy skin.
Study co-author Jin Zhang of the University of California in Santa Cruz deemed the discovery "promising and exciting".
"It’s basically like putting a cancer cell in hot water and boiling it to death. The more heat the metal nanospheres generate, the better," he said.
The nanospheres have so far only been tested in mice, with a study into humans subjects being the next step.
Medical experts in the US recently claimed that frankincense could be used as an alternative treatment for bladder cancer.
The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer
Leave a Reply