Using a nanoparticle that harnesses the protective mechanism of tumor cells and uses it against them, researchers from the University of Michigan have discovered a way to short-circuit tumor cell metabolism in ocular cancer and kill tumor cells.
"Our work uses a semiconducting nanoparticle with an attached platinum electrode to drive the synthesis of an anti-cancer compound when illuminated by light," Howard Petty, who participated in the research, said in a press release. "The nanoparticle mimics the behavior of NADPH oxidase, an enzyme used by immune cells to kill tumor cells and infectious agents. Since tumor cells typically use NADPH to protect themselves from toxins, the more NADPH they synthesize for protection, the faster they die."
The study took place over four years using a mouse model of cancer. The test specifically analyzed breast cancer metastasis in the eye's interior chamber. Results showed the new nanoparticle was effective at killing tumor cells in both eyes as well as extending the survival of experimental mice with 4T1 tumors, a cancer cell line that is very difficult to kill.
"Previous monotherapies have not extended the lifetimes of mice bearing this type of tumor," Petty said. "Our work has shown that we can extend survival of the mice."
The new nanotechnology has the potential to be used for various other disciplines, and future studies will reveal its efficacy for multiple proposed applications.
"This treatment offers many advantages," Petty concluded. "The nanoparticle produces about 20 million toxins per hour in each cell. Also, the nanoparticle is activated by light, so it can be turned on and off simply by exposing it to the correct color of visible light."
The findings were published in the Feb. 19 issue of Nanotechnology.
