Researchers are developing a nanoparticle that targets melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer, and also highlights other cancerous tissue in the body.
The new cancer targeting method was developed by Ulrich Wiesner, professor of materials science at Cornell University in the USA.
The nanoparticles used are tiny spheres surrounded by an organic dye molecule. This is coated with a nontoxic polymer that helps the nanoparticles remain in the body.
“Through simple biochemistry, you can attach peptides to target tumors, drugs, and radioactive imaging labels,” says Professor Wiesner.
Dr Michelle Bradbury, a member of Professor Wiesner’s team and a radiologist at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York City, is embarking on an early stage clinical trial aimed at developing a therapy to seek out melanomas.
Dr Bradbury says: “There’s never been a targeted therapy for melanoma. Another gap in the field is the lack of an optical imaging agent to visualize lymph nodes.”
The particles are treated with a radioactive element, which means they show up on Positron emission tomography (PET) scans. “If we can get these into the clinic, this is a platform that could really expand what we can do for patients,” says Dr Bradbury.
Melanoma develops in skin cells but it can metastasise; spreading quickly and not always predictably to other sites in the body.
The earliest sign that melanoma has metastasised is usually found in the lymph nodes, but it is often difficult for doctors to know which lymph nodes to check.
Advances in cancer detection methods such as this nanotherapeutic agent could lead to earlier and less invasive detection of tumours in patients.
The current diagnostic involves injecting radioactive agents into the body, the radiation picked up by a gamma detector to find the cancer-ridden lymph nodes.
It is hoped that the nano-imaging agent will provide a map that lights up cancer carrying lymph nodes. This will make it far easier for surgeons to locate and remove cancerous tumours with minimal surgery.
Picture courtesy of the US Federal Government
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