Nanotechnology & Cancer Cells

shannonrhee

Nanotechnology and the Cure for Cancer

 

As I’ve discovered this term, nanotechnology has many applications in everything from food packaging to energy production to fashion and design. But I’d like to better understand if it might also hold the answer to solving some of the biggest medical challenges facing society. Could it even help us find a cure for cancer?

 

It makes some sense that nanotechnology might be helpful in this pursuit, as the cancerous cells which make the disease so dangerous are themselves a nanoscale problem. What was interesting to me is how there are many different approaches to attacking this problem, even with the world of nanotechnology.

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One approach aims to help surgeons and oncologists identify cancerous areas more effectively, in order to enhance existing treatment options. By using incredibly small nanoparticles filled with dye-like molecules, it may be possible to make it more obvious to surgeons which areas are infected with cancer cells. Additionally, the same nanoparticles could be used in chemotherapy to help reduce some of the negative side effects associated with it. Because these particles are so small, they can be more efficiently flushed out of the patient’s system, resulting in a less unpleasant overall treatment.
Another group of researchers is taking a very different approach, attempting to create a truly new treatment for cancer. This project aims to kill cancer cells by targeting them with nanobots that are designed to block blood flow to cancer cells, thereby causing them to die off. These nanobots work by searching for the presence of a particular protein which only exists in cancerous cells. Novel approaches like this could lead to treatment options which carry none of the risks and harms associated with current cancer treatment.

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I’m very much interested in studying the evolution of this field of work, and I’d like to consider using my final project to explore other advancements in medicine relating to nanotechnology. I’d also like to explore some of the dangers and risks involved with using nanotechnology in this manner, and whether there are some cases in which it could lead to unintended side-effects or harms.

Bibliography

 

Critchley, Liam. “The Rise of Nanomedicine.” Nano Magazine, Nano Magazine – Latest Nanotechnology News, 18 Apr. 2018, nano-magazine.com/news/2018/4/18/the-rise-of-nanomedicine.

Kai Ma PhD Elucida Oncology Inc. “Nanotechnology in Medicine: Breakthrough Advances in Cancer Detection and Treatment.” Research & Development, 9 July 2018, http://www.rdmag.com/article/2018/07/nanotechnology-medicine-breakthrough-advances-cancer-detection-and-treatment.

Kristoff, Arnold. “Nanoparticle Therapy Restores Prostate Cancer’s Tumor Suppressor.” Nano Magazine, Nano Magazine – Latest Nanotechnology News, 18 Sept. 2018, nano-magazine.com/news/2018/9/18/nanoparticle-therapy-restores-prostate-cancers-tumor-suppressor.

“The Ultimate Cure Isn’t a Miraculous Drug – It’s Nanotech That’ll Help Us Live Longer and Healthier Lives.” Richard Van Hooijdonk, 5 Mar. 2019, http://www.richardvanhooijdonk.com/en/blog/the-ultimate-cure-isnt-a-miraculous-drug-its-nanotech-thatll-help-us-live-longer-and-healthier-lives/.

“Treatment and Therapy.” National Cancer Institute, http://www.cancer.gov/sites/nano/cancer-nanotechnology/treatment.

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