When Dr. Schwartz gave her wonderful guest lecture in class a few weeks ago, she discussed at length some of the obstacles to drug development research. One of these issues, delivery, was especially intriguing to me, because there was definitive progress to make in the area. Until doctors are able to deliver chemicals directly to the tumor and no where else in the body, delivery can be improved. This prompted me to look into some of the new and up-and-coming technologies in the area.
From http://www.a1-diamond.com/images/diamond.jpg
Diamonds are a girl's (and a cancer patient's) best friend!
Giving a diamond with a diameter of 2 nanometers to your girlfriend isn't a great idea, unless she also happens to have drug-resistant breast or liver cancer. Dean Ho and his team of researchers at Northwestern University is currently in the process of developing a delivery system that could potentially reduce risks of blood vessel blockage, excess enzymatic activity (associated with many chemotherapies), and blood toxicity levels. Additionally, the diamonds are easily cleared from the body by the kidneys, and can allow the drug they attach to (in one study, doxorubicin) to remain in circulation for longer periods of time. They also don't seem to raise white blood cell count, which is a common warning sign for approaching the tolerable limit of drug volume. All of these advantages help to overcome many common issues that drug-resistant tumors bring about, like common chemotherapy side effects, hyperactivity of the liver, and difficulties with removal of the drug from circulation.
This technology certainly seems promising as a safer method for delivering therapies to hard to reach tumors. The report claims that the drug "stayed bound to the diamond until it reached the tumor, so it didn't damage cells elsewhere in the body, and the animals survived." This study only tested with rats, but is currently beginning trials on larger mammals like rabbits, with initially positive results. Similar nanodiamonds are also already mass produced in the automobile industry at a relatively cheap cost, and are easily disposed of without great waste. They seem like a positive step toward overcoming drug-resistant cancers.
Not much information is available/presented on the downsides of this technology, but its mechanism makes me somewhat curious of the potential problems. Can the nanodiamonds be safely passed through the body's waste? "Peeing diamonds" is a phrase that would make most cringe. Additionally, will it turn out to be more effective than other similar nanotechnologies, like gold or silicon? Only time and additional research will tell.
Harboring the Power of Light
Solar technology has become prevalent in the past decade for its efficiency and lack of detriment to the environment. Recently, there have been developments that may allow for similar technology to be used in cancer treatments. By creating a device that releases its contents when light is shined upon it, researchers believe they have made a breakthrough in targeted chemotherapies. Theoretically, drug release could be controlled throughout the body by varying where light contacts and penetrates the skin. Thus, once the drug-solar panel-complex entered the system (either intravenously or swallowed), doctors could potentially cause it to be released by shining a near-infrared light at the exact location of the tumor. If there were no other light sources strong enough to reach the interior of the body, the toxic chemicals would only affect the tumor tissue, causing minimal damage to normal tissue and drastically reducing side effects.
This technology is still only in preliminary stages, and has not yet been tested in vivo. However, the tests run in simulated human environments have shown promising results, and testing in rabbits is reportedly soon to come.
These advances in technology are what interest me most about cancer. Finding new, complex, and exciting ways to treat already existing conditions are incredible to me, and I hope new research continues to be developed and funded, for the good of the sick patients.
From http://www.bestwaypower.com/wp-content
/uploads/2010/06/solar_panel.jpg
