JERUSALEM, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have developed an innovative technology to treat malignant cancer cells in children, the northern Israel Technology Institute (Technion) reported on Wednesday.
In the study, published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, the researchers developed an advanced platform for in-body drug transport.
Drug delivery in the body is a medical challenge that has accelerated in recent years as a result of the integration of nanotechnology in this field.
The basic idea is to encapsulate the drug within nanoscale particles that carry it to the damaged tissue, where it is discharged without a decline in critical concentration or damage to healthy tissues.
These particles must exhibit some vital capabilities, such as chemical resistance and stability in a biological environment.
The uniqueness of the new nanometric particles developed by the Technion team lies in the integration of ceramic and polymer elements.
These particles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) mixed with a polymer exhibit a combination of properties such as high physical stability and encapsulation of water-repelling drugs.
The researchers have also achieved precise control over the size of these particles in a very wide range of dimensions (26 to 230 nanometers) which are relevant to a wide variety of tissues and organs in the body, such as a tumor.
It was discovered that these particles are sensitive to ultrasound, giving them great significance in destroying cancer cells.
The study demonstrated the particles' efficacy in the treatment of cancer cell characteristic of cancers in children.
The researchers' clinical goal is to use this innovative technology to treat a wide variety of malignant tumors.
This way, it may be possible to minimize the side effects of chemotherapy and localize the elimination of the tumor without damaging healthy cells.
