"Nanodrels" for drilling cancer cells

The molecular nanomachine easily "drills" through the cell membrane, leaving pores and leading to cell death

Sergey Vasiliev, Naked Science

The double semi-permeable membrane protects the cell remarkably, and biologists have to use a whole arsenal of means to penetrate it: from ultrathin glass needles to electric and magnetic fields, ultrasound, temperature shock, etc. Depending on the tasks and conditions, one or another approach is used, introducing substances and particles necessary for scientists into the cell.

However, nanotechnology promises to become a universal solution that will not only accelerate new research, but also help to defeat cancer by "hacking" and "drilling" the membranes of tumor cells. Such a nanomachine was presented by a large team of scientists led by James Tour from Rice University, whose article is published by the journal Nature.

Basically, the structure of this molecular complex really repeats an ordinary electric drill. The basis is a fixed stator, which is fixed to the membrane by "spacers". Exposure to ultraviolet rays triggers the rotor, and it begins to rotate at a speed of 2-3 million revolutions per second, literally drilling through cell membranes and leaving open pores.

Laboratory experiments have shown that in human kidney tissue cells "in vitro" such nanodevices leave holes in a minute, after which they die. Moreover, scientists can modify the functional groups on the nanomachine stator so that they are attached only to certain structures on cell membranes. This allows them to be selective and attack only certain types of cells – and this was also demonstrated in the laboratory when the devices successfully destroyed prostate cancer cells, but almost did not damage ordinary mouse fibroblasts.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  31.08.2017