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Temperature-sensitive nanoparticle boosts drug antitumor activity

Using temperature-sensitive, lipid- and polymer-based nanoparticles with a polymer coating, researchers in Korea have created an anticancer drug delivery vehicle that may provide a significant boost to the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer agents, particularly when used in conjunction with hyperthermia.

2 Oct 2006

Smart nanoscale bioreactors for drug delivery

In a powerful demonstration of how to build a multifunctional, smart nanoscale drug delivery system, researchers at the University of Basel have created a drug-loaded nanocontainer that targets specific cells and releases its payload when receiving a specific physiological signal.

2 Oct 2006

In vitro assessment of transferrin-conjugated liposomes as drug delivery systems for inhalation therapy of lung cancer

Investigators developing an inhalable nanoparticle for treating lung cancer have shown that a surface molecule found on malignant lung cells can serve as an effective target for improving drug delivery.

25 Sep 2006

Multispectral imaging of clinically relevant cellular targets in tonsil and lymphoid tissue using semiconductor quantum dots

When pathologists examine tissue samples in order to diagnose cancer of the lymphatic system, they examine the relative amounts of a group of proteins known as Cluster of Differentiation markers.

25 Sep 2006

Electrochemical fabrication of conducting polymer nanowires in an integrated microfluidic system

There seems to be little doubt among cancer researchers that new detection systems using nanowires and microfluidics hold the promise of providing a quantum leap in the detection of cancer-related molecules and genes.

25 Sep 2006

Carbon nanotube amplification strategies for highly sensitive immunodetection of cancer biomarkers

In an attempt to increase the sensitivity of cancer biomarker detection and to decrease the need for large samples from which to detect those molecules, a multi-institutional research team has shown that a "forest" of single-walled carbon nanotubes can be used to detect lower levels of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) than is possible using the current commercial assay.

25 Sep 2006

Computer model reveals a central "road" in the human stomach

A computer model or "virtual stomach" revealed a central "road" in the human stomach, dubbed the Magenstrasse, that could explain why pharmaceuticals sometimes have a large variability in drug activation times, according to a team creating computer simulations of stomach contractions.

20 Sep 2006

Nanocantilever biosensors detect multiple genes

Using nanoscale cantilevers in a microfluidics device, a team of European researchers has developed a portable biosensor capable of detecting specific genetic sequences.

19 Sep 2006

NIH to map genomic changes of lung, brain, and ovarian cancers

It is estimated that 174,470 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006. Lung cancer is the major cause of cancer-related mortality in both men and women, with an estimated 162,460 deaths expected to occur in 2006.

13 Sep 2006

Could quantum dots hold the cure to cancer?

Review of quantum dot technologies for cancer detection and treatment.

13 Sep 2006

New compounds could make drug-resistant bacteria harmless

Just as the medical world has become concerned over the apparent resistance of some bugs to antibiotics, scientists have made significant progress towards the development of a new generation of antibiotics.

12 Sep 2006

Nanocantilevers as future disease detectors

Researchers at Purdue University have made a discovery about the behavior of tiny structures called nanocantilevers that could be crucial in designing a new class of ultra-small sensors for detecting viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.

12 Sep 2006

Synthetic low-density lipoprotein-like nanoparticles target brain tumors

Low-density lipoprotein, better known as LDL, is one of the chief villains involved in the development of coronary artery disease.

12 Sep 2006

New screening method shows how nanoparticles interact with human cells

Scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a screening method to examine how newly made nanoparticles interact with human cells following exposure for various times and doses. Using this new method, the investigators have been able to visualize how human cells interact with some specific types of carbon nanoparticles.

12 Sep 2006

New information on how to design nanoparticles that avoid macrophage uptake

Few researchers doubt the potential for nanoparticles to revolutionize the way anticancer drugs and imaging agents are delivered to tumors.

12 Sep 2006

Claims that the discovery of a gene could help prevent diabetes may raise unrealistic expectations

Earlier this year, scientists discovered that a variant of the TCF7L2 gene was associated with type 2 diabetes. In subsequent media coverage, they claimed this could lead to a diagnostic test to identify people who carry the variant gene and that people who knew of their extra risk would then be motivated to avoid the lifestyle habits that lead to diabetes.

7 Sep 2006

Genetic code for breast and colon cancers

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have completed the first draft of the genetic code for breast and colon cancers.

7 Sep 2006

Quantum dot nanodevice that can detect and image apoptosis

Aiming to help researchers get a better handle on how - and if - anticancer agents are triggering cell death, investigators at the University of Twente in The Netherlands have developed a quantum dot nanodevice that can detect and image apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death.

5 Sep 2006

Scientists develop magnetic nanoparticles for medicine

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have already proven their utility for imaging metastatic breast cancer lesions in sentinel lymph nodes, and numerous groups are attempting to use iron nanoparticles in other imaging applications.

5 Sep 2006

New method for attaching tumor-targeting antibodies to the surface of buckyballs

Hollow buckyballs, spherical molecules made of sixty carbon atoms linked to one another like the panels of a soccer ball, have the potential to ferry large doses of anticancer drugs or imaging agents to tumors.

5 Sep 2006