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Nanotechnology, a silver bullet

Greater efficacy, lesser toxicity make it a gamechanger in the war against the disease

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Dr PK Julka

The challenge faced by any cancer treatment is to kill tumour cells without causing too much harm to healthy cells. Currently, all cancer therapies are limited to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. All three methods pose risk to normal tissues or are unsuccessful in eradicating the disease. Nanotechnology offers better means to deliver medicine directly and selectively to cancerous cells and neoplasms, guide in surgical resection of tumours, and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of radiation-based and other current treatment modalities. All of this has the potential to reduce risks and enhance the survival probability.

What is nanotechnology

In simple words, when we modify materials at their atomic and molecular level, some very unusual and useful properties are generated. Since the dimensions of atoms and molecule are in nano-metres, this technology is called nanotechnology. Nanotechnology works on matter at dimensions from 1-100nm, and can thus be used for a broad range of applications and creation of various types of nano materials and nano devices. Nano materials can be used for a wide variety of things, ranging from purification of water to wrinkle free fabrics to curing cancer. When this technology is combined with biology, it becomes nano-biotechnology. The use of nano-biotechnology in medicine is nano-medicine. 

Nano-medicine can be used for monitoring, repair, construction and control of human biological systems at a molecular level, using engineered nano-devices and nano-structures. 

Nano-medicine has significant applications in medical sciences. Many types of nano-particles are currently being studied for applications in nano-medicine. 

Two forms of nano-medicine that have already been tested in mice and are awaiting human trials are gold nano-shells, which help diagnose and treat cancer, and liposomes as vaccine adjutants and vehicles for drug transport. Nano-devices are faster and more sensitive than typical drug delivery systems.

Useful in oncology 

Nano-particles have properties that can be very useful in oncology. Quantum dots (nano-particles with quantum confinement properties), when used in conjunction with MRI, produces exceptional images of tumour sites. A very exciting research question is how to make these imaging nano-particles do more for cancer. This is under investigation, and the answer could shape the future of cancer treatment.

Sensor test chips, containing thousands of nano-wires, may detect proteins and other biomarkers left behind by cancer cells and enable early detection and diagnosis of cancer from a few drops of blood. By irradiating the tumour-infected area with an infrared laser, which passes through the flesh without heating it, the gold is heated sufficiently to cause death of the cancer cells.

Nanotechnology holds great potential for India and a multi-pronged approach will ensure this is fully leveraged. As it comes to India, we shall be able to diagnose and treat cancers with greater efficacy and lesser toxicity. 

—The writer is senior director, Max Institute of Cancer Care, Lajpat Nagar

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