Here''s more evidence that nanotechnology might be useful for something other than creating stain-resistant pants and clear-dry sunscreens. Researchers at nanotech-hotbed Rice University report that they have been able to kill cancerous tumors in lab mice through a combination of near-infrared light and gold nanoshells, leaving healthy tissue unaffected. Here''s how the process works: Nanoshells are particles about 20 times as small as a red blood cell and made of a silica core covered by a thin gold shell. By "varying the size of the core and the thickness of the gold shell," researchers can tweak a nanoshell to respond to a specific wavelength of light. In this case, the nanoshells are "tuned" to respond to near-infrared light, located just outside the visible spectrum. In the treatment, injected nanoshells convert this light—applied through a laser beam on the skin above the tumors—into heat that destroys nearby tumor cells. Surface temperatures above the tumors jump an average of about 46 degrees Fahrenheit. All signs of tumors disappeared in about 10 days, the researchers report. "The results of these first animal studies are very promising, and while we don''t yet have a target date for our first human trial, our entire team is working hard to make this treatment available to
cancer patients as soon as possible," says Naomi Halas, a chemistry professor at Rice. "We have licensed the technology to the Houston-based firm Nanospectra Biosciences Inc., which will obtain the necessary approvals and funding for human trials."
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