Antibody-coated nanotubes will "fry" the tumor
Monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to tumor cells can act independently or be used to deliver chemotherapy drugs, radionuclides or toxins to the tumor area. Scientists at the University of Texas, working under the guidance of Dr. Ellen Vitetta, are testing a new method of antitumor therapy, for which monoclonal antibodies specific to lymphoma cells were applied to carbon nanotubes that warmed up when exposed to near-infrared light, capable of penetrating through the tissues of the human body to a depth of 5 centimeters.
When the lymphoma cells were introduced into the culture, the nanotubes coated with antibodies bound to the cell surface, and the subsequent exposure to near-infrared light caused them to warm up to a temperature sufficient to destroy the cells. Control nanotubes coated with neutral antibodies did not bind to tumor cells and did not destroy them.
The use of near-infrared light to induce hyperthermia is especially attractive for safety reasons, because living tissues practically do not absorb this type of radiation. However, the authors emphasize that even with the high efficiency of the method in the laboratory, its transfer to the conditions of a living organism inevitably faces a lot of difficulties. Currently, they are starting experiments on mice and, despite the lack of guarantees of positive results, they have high hopes for the new method.
Several groups of researchers are working on the use of carbon nanotubes to destroy cancer cells, but the authors have demonstrated for the first time the ability of antibodies and nanotubes to maintain their physical properties and functionality even when the complex is placed in an environment that reproduces the conditions of the internal environment of the body.
Article by Chakravarty et al. «Thermal ablation of tumor cells with antibody-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes» published in PNAS.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on ScienceDaily materials
18.06.2008