Researchers have shared a groundbreaking development in cancer treatment research with new technology that can selectively target cancerous cells whilst sparing healthy tissue.
A team at RMIT University in Melbourne say that extremely small metal particles – which they dub ‘nanodots’ – could be capable of identifying and destroying cancer cells in humans, opening up new possibilities for targeted therapies.
The research remains in its early stages, so far only being tested on lab-grown cells and not yet animals or humans. However, the findings point to an effective new strategy that exploits existing vulnerabilities in cancer cells.
Dr Baoyue Zhang from RMIT's School of Engineering explains: “Cancer cells already live under higher stress than healthy ones.”
“Our particles push that stress a little further – enough to trigger self-destruction in cancer cells, while healthy cells cope just fine.”
The nanodots are engineered from molybdenum oxide, a compound derived from molybdenum, a rare metal widely utilised in electronics and industrial applications.
Dr Zhang says that subtle alterations to the metal's chemical structure prompts it to release reactive oxygen molecules. These unstable oxygen forms are known to damage vital cellular components, ultimately triggering cell death.
Many existing cancer treatments inflict damage on healthy tissue alongside tumours, meaning the ability to amplify stress within cancer cells could pave the way for more targeted and less harmful therapies.
The nanodots are also crafted from a widely available metal oxide rather than expensive or toxic noble metals like gold or silver and so hold the potential for more affordable and safer manufacturing.
In laboratory experiments, the nanodots demonstrated significant selectivity, eradicating cervical cancer cells at three times the rate observed in healthy cells over a 24-hour period.
Researchers were able to achieve this effect by adjusting the metal’s composition, introducing minute quantities of hydrogen and ammonium. This fine-tuning caused the particles to generate elevated levels of oxygen molecules, which then propelled cancer cells into apoptosis, the body's natural mechanism for eliminating damaged cells.
The Australian-based research team says it is continuing to advance the technology. The next stage of the work focusing on ensuring that the nanodots become even more targeted, activating only inside of tumours and never affecting healthy tissue. Researchers are also seeking to begin testing the particles in animals, and establish scalable manufacturing methods.
