Nanoparticles can be used as powerful vehicles to administer vaccines and prevent serious illness, as with the treatment of COVID-19 and to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer cells with goal of eradicating the cancer cells and leaving the healthy cells unharmed. For cancer patients, this has the potential to reduce severe side effects that originate from the toxicity of chemotherapeutics. Unfortunately, no clinically applied selective nanoparticle treatment (also known as nanotherapeutic) exists yet, with research focusing on improving and understanding current nanotherapeutics. For her Ph.D. research, Laura Woythe took a closer look at nanoparticles and cancer cells to design selective nanotherapeutics using advanced optical microscopy techniques.
However, this so-called functionalization process is hard to control, due to the small size of the nanoparticles, causing some molecules to be misplaced, to function incorrectly, or to be erroneously attached on the nanoparticle surface. All of these reduce a nanoparticle’s capacity to interact with cancer cells in the intended way.
Furthermore, questions remain regarding the efficiency of such attachment protocols, and if the number of molecules we are attaching is efficient enough to target cancer cells. The challenges lie in the small size of the molecules and cell receptors, and the limited quantitative methods that are available to estimate the number of molecules on the surface of the nanoparticles. In other words, how can scientists count the number of molecules on the surface of the nanoparticles in order to check that the nanoparticles can be effective against cancer cells?
Super-resolution microscopy
For her Ph.D. research, Laura Woythe investigated the functionality of molecules attached to nanoparticles for selective cancer targeting using advanced optical microscopy techniques or “super-resolution” optical microscopy.
Super-resolution microscopy encompasses a group of microscopy techniques that have a resolution power that is 10 times higher than conventional optical microscopy. This allows for the visualization of nanometric structures, such as nanoparticles and cell receptors, in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers (nm). This size range is equivalent to visualizing structures up to 5,000 times smaller than a human hair.
Using super-resolution microscopy, Woythe and her colleagues were able to count individual ligands on nanoparticles and receptors on cancer cells, thus enabling the finetuning of the targeting interaction. These numbers can go a long way towards developing more efficient nanotherapeutic delivery.
Woythe’s research is an important step towards a better understanding of nanomaterials for biomedical applications, specifically selective cell targeting of cancer cells and diseased cells without affecting healthy tissue, and thus minimizing the potential side-effects and the burden this cause to cancer patients.
News
Is Berberine Really a “Natural Ozempic”?
Often labeled a “natural Ozempic,” berberine is widely discussed as a metabolic aid. Yet research suggests its influence may lie deeper. In recent years, berberine has gained significant attention as a supposed “natural way” [...]
Viagra Ingredient Shows Promise for Rare Childhood Brain Disease in Surprising Study
A rare childhood disease with no approved treatment may have an unexpected new therapeutic candidate. Sildenafil, the active ingredient also sold under the brand name Viagra, may help reduce symptoms in people with Leigh [...]
In a first for China, Neuracle’s implantable brain-computer interface wins approval
In a landmark development, Neuracle Medical Technology has secured the country’s first-ever approval for an implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) system designed to restore hand motor function in patients with spinal cord injuries, in a [...]
A Cambridge Lab Mistake Reveals a Powerful New Way to Modify Drug Molecules
A surprising lab discovery reveals a light-powered way to tweak complex drugs faster, cleaner, and later in development. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created a new technique for altering complex drug molecules [...]
New book from NanoappsMedical Inc – Molecular Manufacturing: The Future of Nanomedicine
This book explores the revolutionary potential of atomically precise manufacturing technologies to transform global healthcare, as well as practically every other sector across society. This forward-thinking volume examines how envisaged Factory@Home systems might enable the cost-effective [...]
Scientists Discover Simple Saliva Test That Reveals Hidden Diabetes Risk
Researchers have identified a potential new way to assess metabolic health using saliva instead of blood. High insulin levels in the blood, known as hyperinsulinemia, can reveal metabolic problems long before obvious symptoms appear. It is [...]
One Nasal Spray Could Protect Against COVID, Flu, Pneumonia, and More
A single nasal spray vaccine may one day protect against viruses, pneumonia, and even allergies. For decades, scientists have dreamed of creating a universal vaccine capable of protecting against many different pathogens. The idea [...]
New AI Model Predicts Cancer Spread With Incredible Accuracy
Scientists have developed an AI system that analyzes complex gene-expression signatures to estimate the likelihood that a tumor will spread. Why do some tumors spread throughout the body while others remain confined to their [...]
Scientists Discover DNA “Flips” That Supercharge Evolution
In Lake Malawi, hundreds of species of cichlid fish have evolved with astonishing speed, offering scientists a rare opportunity to study how biodiversity arises. Researchers have identified segments of “flipped” DNA that may allow fish to adapt rapidly [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Scientists Discover Why Some COVID Survivors Still Can’t Taste Food Years Later
A new study provides the first direct biological evidence explaining why some people continue to experience taste loss long after recovering from COVID-19. Researchers have uncovered specific biological changes in taste buds that could help [...]
Catching COVID significantly raises the risk of developing kidney disease, researchers find
Catching Covid significantly raises the risk of developing deadly kidney disease, research has shown. The virus was found to increase the chances that patients will develop the incurable condition by around 50 per cent. [...]
New Toothpaste Stops Gum Disease Without Harming Healthy Bacteria
Researchers have developed a targeted approach to combat periodontitis without disrupting the natural balance of the oral microbiome. The innovation could reshape how gum disease is treated while preserving beneficial bacteria. The human mouth [...]
Plastic Without End: Are We Polluting the Planet for Eternity?
The Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for the elimination of plastic pollution by 2030. If that goal has been clearly set, why have meaningful measures that create real change still not been implemented? [...]
Scientists Rewire Natural Killer Cells To Attack Cancer Faster and Harder
Researchers tested new CAR designs in NK-92 cells and found the modified cells killed tumor cells more effectively, showing stronger anti-cancer activity. Researchers at the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and the Center for Cell-Based [...]
New “Cellular” Target Could Transform How We Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
A new study from researchers highlights an unexpected player in Alzheimer’s disease: aging astrocytes. Senescent astrocytes have been identified as a major contributor to Alzheimer’s progression. The cells lose protective functions and fuel inflammation, particularly in [...]
