Although much remains to be done, progress in biomedical research They are giving us a small number of anticancer drugs that in many cases, if not cure, improve the quality of life of these patients.
However, the Achilles heel of this branch of medicine remains the administration of these substances; since, if they are not directed only at tumor cells, they can cause a large number of unwanted side effects.
To solve this problem, a group of researchers from the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore has developed a very novel method based on the use of nanometric bubbles that are exploited upon reaching their destination with the help of the emission of ultrasound.
What is this method of administering anti-tumor drugs?
The use of iron nanoparticles for the transport of antitumor drugs, because it is a material easily metabolizable by the body and that its magnetic properties make it very suitable to be guided inside the body with the help of a magnet.
However, this new method is even more effective, since it adds to the already known procedure new characteristics that make the administration of the drug even more selective, without losing anything along the way.
To do this, these scientists, who have published their results in the journal Asia Materials, They have used gas bubbles the size of nanoparticles and have coated them with a layer of antitumor substances and iron oxide.But how does this new method work?
To begin, these balls are administered to the patient, which can be directed to the tumor with the help of a magnet, taking advantage of the iron oxide magnetism. Once there, the body undergoes a series of ultrasound, What do they do vibrate these particles to the point of pop the bubbles, which will release the drug right where it should perform its function.
Advantages of this method over other antitumor treatments
Logically, this directed way administering the drug far exceeds the effectiveness of the conventional chemotherapy; since, not only does it not have any effect on the healthy cells, but also favors all the drug to act on the tumor, without getting lost along the way, so that it can penetrate to its core, destroying it with greater efficiency.
In addition, it also solves the typical problems of drug injections directly into the tumor; which, although sometimes successful, are expensive and painful and cause more side effects.
Without a doubt, we are once again facing a small big step in the fight against cancer.
