16 September 2023 , 07:05
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Scientists believe they can use electrically-charged particles to destroy aggressive cancer cells, potentially giving hope to millions of people.
Experts have developed nanoparticles which can trick the sick cells into self-destructing, known as apoptosis, in glioblastoma cells. Research has so far showed the work left the healthy cells in cancer patients untouched.
Known as quantum biology, the work is still in its infancy but the team, based in Nottingham, says it can see future developments in the technology. As a result, it has the potential to become an effective new treatment in people’s battle against diseases such as brain cancer.
The report, published in Nature Nanotechnology, reads: “We are entering an era where it has been realised bioelectricity, defined as the electrical language of cells, programs cell function. The cell is increasingly viewed as a mass of bioelectrical interconnected circuits that use an endogenous current generated by electron transfer processes to communicate with each other to maintain homoeostasis.
“We show a remote electrical input regulates electron transport between these redox molecules, which results in quantum biological tunnelling for electron transfer to trigger apoptosis in patient-derived cancer cells in a selective manner. Transcriptomics data show that the electric-field-induced bio-nanoantenna targets the cancer cells in a unique manner, representing electrically induced control of molecular signalling.”
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According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 12,000 new brain tumour cases in the UK every year at a rate of around 34 a day. They can also be fast growing and come back, despite current treatments.
The report continues: “Based on the obtained data, we infer that the electron transfer in the bio-nanoantennae occurs through EF-induced quantum tunnelling and is thus QBET, with the applied frequency, potential and linker length playing a critical role.
“Moreover, transcriptomics shows that electrical–molecular communication is specifically targeted in cancer cells. This represents a wireless electrical–molecular communication tool that facilitates the killing of cancer cells.”
Earlier this week it was reported a six-year-old girl was initially prescribed Calpol for her virus-like symptoms before being told she had brain cancer. Doctors thought Indeg Glyn Roberts had a virus until she suffered significant weight loss.
She was eventually dashed in an ambulance and a CT scan showed the youngster had cancer of the brain. Doctors said had her parents Ceri, 42, and Huw, 50, left their worries unaddressed any longer, they may have lost their daughter.
Ineg underwent a gruelling nine-hour brain surgery and two months of intensive proton beam therapy. Now, she continues her courageous battle against cancer and is participating in a research trial at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital, known as The International SIOP Ependymoma II trial, which aims to improve outcomes for patients with ependymoma.