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Wednesday, 14th January 2009 (1578 views)

A new application using nanotechnology could turn out to be "worth its weight in gold" for breast cancer patients, it has been stated.

Scientists at Washington University, St Louis, have designed a technique using tiny gold 'nanocages' that could contribute to cancer treatment.

Professors Lihong Wang and Younan Xia used the gold nanocages to map lymph nodes in a rat, utilising a non-invasive technique dubbed photoacoustic tomography.

Gold nanocages were invented by Mr Xia's laboratory and could serve as an alternative to chemotherapy in the future.

"We can attach biomolecules to the surface of the nanocages so they are targeted to cancer cells," Mr Xia explained.

The photoacoustic tomography work is supported by the National Institutes of Health and is published in an online issue of the Nanoletters journal.

In related news, a team at Northwestern University has used gold nanoparticles to create a method of improving cholesterol levels.

 

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