Nanostars Deliver Cancer Drugs Direct To Nucleus
Scientists at Northwestern University in the US have developed a simple, specialized, star-shaped gold nanoparticle that can deliver drugs directly to the nucleus of a cancer cell. They write about their work in a paper published recently in the journal ACS Nano.
Senior author Dr Teri W. Odom, said in a statement released on Thursday:
"Our drug-loaded gold nanostars are tiny hitchhikers."
"They are attracted to a protein on the cancer cell's surface that conveniently shuttles the nanostars to the cell's nucleus. Then, on the nucleus' doorstep, the nanostars release the drug, which continues into the nucleus to do its work," she added.
Scientists are increasingly turning to nanotechnology as a way to fight disease at the cellular level. Although it poses considerable design challenges, nanotechnology offers powerful ways of targeting therapy.
For instance, another recently reported study led by Johns Hopkins University described how to use harmless bacteria to "backpack" nano-wires, beads and other nanostructures to targeted places in the human body.
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