TREATMENT OF CANCER USING NANOTECHNOLOGY

PRESENTED BY: S.ASHA P.DIVYASREEDEPT: ECEYEAR: 2COLLEGE: CHENNAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Introduction:

The main aim of this paper deals with the eradication of cancer cells by providing a steady, possible method of destroying and curing the cancer in an efficient and safe way so that healthy cells are not affected in any manner.

This technology also focuses on a main idea that the patient is not affected by cancer again.

Nanotechnology: Nanotechnology is the art of manipulating materials on the atomic or molecular level and is used to build microscopic devices such as robots and other machines. These miniature devices play an important role in providing safe and efficient analysis and treatment of disease.

What is cancer:

Cancer is the disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.

They form a mass of tissue called a tumour

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Various tools for the method of treatment of cancer:

Cantilever:Tiny bars anchored at one end can be engineered to bind to molecules associated with cancer. These molecules may bind to altered DNA proteins that are present in certain types of cancer .By monitoring the bending of cantilevers, it would be possible to tell whether the cancer molecules are present and hence detect early molecular events in the development of cancer.

Nanopores: Nanopores (holes) allow DNA to

pass through one strand at a time and hence DNA sequencing can be made more efficient.

Thus the shape and electrical properties of each base on the strand can be monitored.

As these properties are unique for each of the four bases that make up the genetic code, the passage of DNA through a nanopore can be used to decipher the encoded information, including errors in the code known to be associated with cancer.

Nano tubes: Nanotubes are smaller than Nano pores. It

will also help identify DNA changes associated with cancer.

It helps to exactly pin point location of the changes. Mutated regions associated with cancer are first tagged with bulky molecules.

Using a nano tube tip, resembling the needle on a record player, the physical shape of the DNA can be traced. A computer translates this information into topographical map. The bulky molecules identify the regions on the map where mutations are present. Since the location of mutations can influence the effects they have on a cell, these techniques will be important in predicting disease.

Nano shells: NS are miniscule beads coated

with gold.Beads absorb specific wavelength of light. The most useful nanoshells are those that absorb near infrared light that can easily penetrate several centimeters in human tissues.

Absorption of light by nanoshells creates an intense heat that is lethal to cells. Nanoshells can be linked to antibodies that recognize cancer cells. In laboratory cultures, the heat generated by the light-absorbing nanoshells has successfully killed tumor cells while leaving neighbouring cells intact.

Recent research:

A "Trojan horse" treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme, which involves using tiny nanoparticles of gold to kill tumour cells, has been successfully tested by scientists.

Scientists have also combined nanoparticles with light-sensitive dye called phthalocyanine in order to destroy cancer cells. In this approach, scientists use the nanoparticles as vessels to deliver the phthalocyanine, which then sticks to cancerous cells. Scientists are then able to harness light to obliterate cancer cells.

Recent research:

Researchers are also testing the use of chemotherapy drugs attached to nanodiamonds to treat leukemia. It turns out that leukemia cancer cells can pump chemotherapy drugs out of the cancer cell, limiting the effectiveness of the drug. The cancer cell can not pump the nanodiamond out, so attaching the drug molecules to nanodiamonds results in the drug staying in the cancer cell longer.

Researchers at the Amrita Centre for Nanosciences discovered an innovative nanotechnology method to treat cancer. The technique targets cancer cells in an acidic microenvironment while sparing normal human primary cells. It was found that ZnO nanoparticles have intrinsic properties that enable them to preferentially kill cancerous T-cells while sparing healthy normal cells.

 

Potentials:

More cheaper than the traditional methods ( drug ,vacxin , UV ….) Low effect to the body (compare with Chemotherapy,

Radiation Therapy…) Bright futures in uses Protects drugs from being degraded in the body before they reach

their target. Enhances the absorption of drugs into tumors and into the cancerous cells themselves.

Allows for better control over the timing and distribution of drugs to the tissue, making it easier for oncologists to assess how well they work.

Challenges:

Cytotoxic Effect Since these particles are very small, problems can

actually arise from the inhalation of these minute particles, much like the problems a person gets from inhaling minute asbestos particles.

Presently, nanotechnology is very expensive and developing it can cost you a lot of money. It is also pretty difficult to manufacture, which is probably why products made with nanotechnology are more expensive.

Conclusion:

Nanotechnology will radically change the way we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer to help meet the goal of eliminating suffering and death from cancer.

There are still many advances needed to improve nanoparticles for treatment of cancers.

Further studies are focused on expanding the selection of drugs to deliver novel nanoparticle vectors. Hopefully, this will allow the development of innovative new strategies for cancer cures.

Reference:

Nanomedicine, Volume I: Basic Capabilities, by Robert A. Freitas Jr. 1999, ISBN 1-57059-645-X

 Wagner V, Dullaart A, Bock AK, Zweck A. (2006). "The emerging nanomedicine landscape". Nat Biotechnol. 24 (10): 1211–1217. doi:10.1038/nbt1006-1211.PMID 17033654.

 freitas RA Jr. (2005). "What is Nanomedicine?". Nanomedicine: Nanotech. Biol. Med.1 (1): 2–9. doi:10.1016/j.nano.2004.11.003. PMID 17292052.

Nanotechnology in Medicine and the Biosciences, by Coombs RRH, Robinson DW. 1996, ISBN 2-88449-080-9

Thank you for your attention.

TREATMENT OF CANCER USING NANOTECHNOLOGY

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