Nanoparticles News and Research

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Aptamer-targeted nanoparticles collect and detect cancer cells

Using magnetic and fluorescent nanoparticles capable of binding tightly to molecules found only on the surface of cancer cells, a team of investigators at the University of Florida has developed a method for collecting and detecting multiple cancer cells from biological samples.

14 Jun 2007

Nanosized bioceramic particles could function as efficient gene delivery vehicles with target specificity for the spleen

A detailed comparison of different types of ceramic nanoparticles has found that those made of silica can efficiently transport therapeutic genes to the spleen and trigger a potent immune response capable of attacking tumors.

14 Jun 2007

Nanoprobes with near-infrared persistent luminescence for in vivo imaging

In a new take on use of luminescent nanoparticles as cancer imaging probes, a team of investigators from several research institutes in Paris, France, has developed new metal-containing nanoparticles that emit light for several hours after they are initially excited.

14 Jun 2007

Trial shows nanoparticle-enabled thermal therapy safe for treating cancer

Several types of metal nanoparticles are capable of converting energy, such as that carried by near-infrared light or an oscillating magnetic field, into heat at a level high enough to kill tumors.

14 Jun 2007

Hybrid gold-dendrimer nanoparticles target and image tumors

Dendrimer nanoparticles, made of spherical, highly branched polymers, have shown promise as drug delivery vehicles capable of targeting tumors with large doses of anticancer drugs.

14 Jun 2007

Double-duty nanoparticles overcome drug resistance in tumors

Cancer cells, like bacteria, can develop resistance to drug therapy. In fact, research suggests strongly that multidrug resistant cancer cells that remain alive after chemotherapy are responsible for the reappearance of tumors and the poor prognosis for patients whose cancer recurs.

14 Jun 2007

New drug-delivery system using nanomaterials

Researchers at UCLA have successfully manipulated nanomaterials to create a new drug-delivery system that promises to solve the challenge of the poor water solubility of today's most promising anticancer drugs and thereby increase their effectiveness.

8 Jun 2007

Novel technologies show promise for future of gene transfer

Several new technologies that could significantly impact the future of gene transfer applications were presented at a conference at the 10th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) in Seattle.

3 Jun 2007

Nanoparticle delivery of insulin gene to fight juvenile diabetes developed

A safer method to deliver the insulin gene to diabetes patients using nanoparticles, was presented at the 10th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) in Seattle.

3 Jun 2007

MRI effective method for revealing anatomical details of soft tissues

Contrast agents can help to make these images even clearer and allow physiological processes to be followed in real time. Conventional gadolinium complexes currently used as MRI contrast agent cannot reveal anatomic structures.

1 Jun 2007

Targeted nanoparticles offer promising techniques for cancer treatment

Researchers in the laboratory of Mark E. Davis at the California Institute of Technology have been using small interfering RNA (siRNA), sometimes known as silencing RNA, to "silence" specific genes that are implicated in certain malignancies.

22 May 2007

Nanomedicine opens the way for nerve cell regeneration

The ability to regenerate nerve cells in the body could reduce the effects of trauma and disease in a dramatic way.

22 May 2007

Fluorescent nanoparticles open up new possibilities for cellular imaging

Scientists from the University of Twente, the Netherlands, have successfully exploited the optical properties of fluorescent nanoparticles to broaden the scope of single-cell microscopy.

9 May 2007

Nanoparticles for 'on-the-spot' virus detector

Chemical engineers from the University at Buffalo have collaborated with scientists from other institutions to solve a critical bottleneck in the transport and capture of virus nanoparticles, making possible a device that could rapidly sample and detect infectious biological agents, such as viruses.

4 May 2007

Nanoparticles found near plaque-filled arteries

Scientific evidence increasingly links arterial calcification to the presence of nanosized particles so small that some scientists question whether a nanoparticle can live and, if so, play a viable role in causing disease.

1 May 2007

Gold nanoparticles used as a simple "litmus test" for mercury

With gold nanoparticles, DNA and some smart chemistry as their tools, scientists at Northwestern University have developed a simple "litmus test" for mercury that eventually could be used for on-the-spot environmental monitoring of bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, lakes and oceans, to evaluate their safety as food and drinking water sources.

30 Apr 2007

Nanoparticle-based sensors sniff out and identify proteins

A team of scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have created a kind of molecular nose that uses nanoparticle-based sensors to sniff out and identify proteins.

24 Apr 2007

Gold nanoparticles for early detection of cancer

By attaching gold nanoparticles - like tiny balls or rods- to cancer cells, earlier detection will be possible.

24 Apr 2007

BioForce Nanosciences sells Nano Enabler to Louisiana Tech

BioForce Nanosciences has announced the March sale of the Nano eNabler molecular printer to Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.

24 Apr 2007

Assessing exposure to airborne nanomaterials

New methods and tools for measuring exposure to airborne engineered nanomaterials will be required to protect the health of workers in nanotechnology-related jobs, estimated to total 10 million people by 2014, according to two occupational health experts writing in the inaugural issue of the journal Nanotoxicology.

18 Apr 2007