ANA Discussion Forum
Archive => Archives => Topic started by: B9 on April 21, 2005, 01:43:34 pm
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Has anyone heard about a new tumor treatment that makes use of nanotechnology? Nanoshell cancer treatment research has been going on at Rice Univ. in Houston. I'm wondering if there might be an A-N application for this technology.There are several articles published on the subject. Just do a google search for "nanoshells". I am currently in watch & wait pre-treatment status, as many of us are, and would like to get some opinions on this new approach. Thanks. ???
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That is very interesting, they say it completely irradicated all the tumors in mice and the mice remained free of all cancer. One article from Oct 2004 said clinical trials were set to start this year, but I checked the Rice website and they haven't started yet. I guess they use small shells of gold, that bind to target cells only and are then superheated by infrared light, which destroys the tumor and nothing else. I can't think of a reason it couldn't be used on AN's, unless infrared can't pass through bone. Even then I'm sure there's a way, perhaps endoscopic infrared through a small burr hole, as long as it had no edges that could injure anything delicate. But I have a bad feeling that this tech will fade away, not because it wouldn't work, but because it seems to work too well. Alot of crooked corporate pharmaceutical people stand to lose alot of money if tumors can just be destroyed by a simple injection and some light. >:(
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Has anyone heard anything more about the Nanoshells? I ask my doctor and he said he never heard of it. Sounds like a really neet thing.
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They're supposed to begin human trials in early 2006.
This article is a Q & A with the creator of nanoshells:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/03-ask.html