Can Nano Technology Aid in Fighting Cancer?

Nano technology used to be popular in science fiction, but now it's becoming a reality in the medical field. It is being used to deposit chemo therapy directly to the cancer cells instead of damaging the whole body while trying to cure one specific part. That's been the problem with traditional chemo therapy, it kills the cancer cells, but the collateral damage is often as devastating as the cancer was. Like swatting flies with a machine gun, it often did more harm than good. But with nano technology, the chemicals can be directed at the one location where they're needed and safely kill the tumors without weakening the immune system or healthy organs.

How it Works

According to Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia PhD, "The particles have substances on their surfaces that make them home in on the cancer-one type contains a peptide that binds to proteins found in a tumor's vessel linings." Dr. Bhatia received her degree at MIT and used the same technology that had been used in liver repair and paint to create the nano technology that fights cancer. Her delivery system for the new technology is very specific and only attacks the cancer cells.

Why Nano Technology is Better than Traditional Chemo

Traditional Chemo therapy didn't have a very good success rate when it came to patient survival. Too often the cancer was killed by the overload of chemicals but so was the immune system, making the patient susceptible to infections and new cancers because the body was unable to fight off any new attacks. With Dr. Bhatia's nano technology, the poisoned chemicals can be delivered to the exact point where they're needed and kill only the malignant cells, leaving the healthy ones still able to defend against infections and further recurrences of the cancer. Being able to target only the tumors will increase the patients chances of long term survival.

Overview

Cancer has been a major killer for many years as scientists and researchers have been trying to find a cure. Nano technology seems to be the best of the new possibilities since it only goes after the cancer and doesn't have the damaging effects on the rest of the body. Dr. Bhatia is a leader in her field of nano technology and is still working on ways to improve the chances of an ultimate cure for the dreaded disease.