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Researchers at Rice University Fight Cancer with Nano Technology  Researchers at Rice University have produced what some believe are "promising" results in the battle against cancer. Jennifer West is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bio-Engineering at Rice University and the Nano-Technology they're working on has received a good bit of attention because of its initial success in battling cancerous tumors in laboratory animals. West says this effort is unique. For the last decade they've been refining a product known as "nano-shells." They're microscopic particles with centers comprised on silica...essentially a drop of glass that is coated with a thin layer of gold. Each "nano-shell" is truly tiny, measuring just a billionth of a meter in diameter, 20 times smaller than a red blood cell. Each is shaped in such a way that it re-tunes the optical properties of near-infra-red light. West says it's worked consistently in immune suppressed lab mice and the next step of course, is human testing. West admits that there's no way to know for certain how this might translate to human clinical trials, but she says any side affects would likely be minimal. West says they've licensed their technology to a Houston firm called "Nano-Spectra Biosciences" and researchers there are working with the Federal Drug Administration on manufacturing issues and the possibility of clinical trials. West is hopeful that this technology could, in time, lead to a real medical breakthrough. The results of the study are published in the June 25th issue of the Journal Cancer Letters. |
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