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Nanomagnets Enlisted in Cancer Fight
A method to use nanoscale magnets to boost impact of gene therapies against cancer cells has been developed by U.K. researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Nanomagnets can attract more cancer-fighting cells to tumors, UK researchers say.
Nanoscale magnets to target cancer tumor cells with more intensity have been developed by U.K. researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The work is seen as a way to amplify the impact of gene therapy to fight cancer cells. By inserting these nanomagnets into cells carrying genes to fight tumors, the result would be many more cells successfully reaching and invading malignant cells, the researchers said.
The work will appear in Gene Therapy in June.
Using human cells as delivery vehicles for anti-cancer gene therapy has long been an attractive approach for treating tumors, but these cells usually reach tumors in insufficient numbers to effectively attack them.
The new 'magnetic targeting' method has been developed to overcome this problem by The work was conducted by Prof. Claire Lewis (University of Sheffield), Professor Jon Dobson (University of Keele), and Professor Helen Byrne and Dr. Giles Richardson (University of Nottingham).
The technique involves inserting nanomagents into monocytes - a type of white blood cell used to carry gene therapy - and injecting the cells into the bloodstream. The researchers then placed a small magnet over the tumor to create a magnetic field and found that this attracted many more monocytes into the tumor.
"The use of nanoparticles to enhance the uptake of therapeutically armed cells by tumors could herald a new era in gene therapy - one in which delivery of the gene therapy vector to the diseased site is much more effective,” said Prof. Lewis, the head of the laboratory where the work was done. “This new technique could also be used to help deliver therapeutic genes in other diseases like arthritic joints or ischemic heart tissue."
Professor Nigel Brown, BBSRC Director of Science and Technology, said: "This exciting work could have huge implications in healthcare. Fundamental bioscience research may sometimes seem to have little relevance to everyday life, but understanding the basic workings of the human body and harnessing nanoscale technology has resulted in a process of great potential in tumor therapy."
The team are now looking at how effective magnetic targeting is at delivering a variety of different cancer-fighting genes, including ones which could stop the spread of tumors to other parts of the body.
The BBSRC, sponsored by the UK government, annually invests £380 million in research that makes a significant contribution to the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
The work is seen as a way to amplify the impact of gene therapy to fight cancer cells. By inserting these nanomagnets into cells carrying genes to fight tumors, the result would be many more cells successfully reaching and invading malignant cells, the researchers said.
The work will appear in Gene Therapy in June.
Using human cells as delivery vehicles for anti-cancer gene therapy has long been an attractive approach for treating tumors, but these cells usually reach tumors in insufficient numbers to effectively attack them.
The new 'magnetic targeting' method has been developed to overcome this problem by The work was conducted by Prof. Claire Lewis (University of Sheffield), Professor Jon Dobson (University of Keele), and Professor Helen Byrne and Dr. Giles Richardson (University of Nottingham).
The technique involves inserting nanomagents into monocytes - a type of white blood cell used to carry gene therapy - and injecting the cells into the bloodstream. The researchers then placed a small magnet over the tumor to create a magnetic field and found that this attracted many more monocytes into the tumor.
"The use of nanoparticles to enhance the uptake of therapeutically armed cells by tumors could herald a new era in gene therapy - one in which delivery of the gene therapy vector to the diseased site is much more effective,” said Prof. Lewis, the head of the laboratory where the work was done. “This new technique could also be used to help deliver therapeutic genes in other diseases like arthritic joints or ischemic heart tissue."
Professor Nigel Brown, BBSRC Director of Science and Technology, said: "This exciting work could have huge implications in healthcare. Fundamental bioscience research may sometimes seem to have little relevance to everyday life, but understanding the basic workings of the human body and harnessing nanoscale technology has resulted in a process of great potential in tumor therapy."
The team are now looking at how effective magnetic targeting is at delivering a variety of different cancer-fighting genes, including ones which could stop the spread of tumors to other parts of the body.
The BBSRC, sponsored by the UK government, annually invests £380 million in research that makes a significant contribution to the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.