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Friday, 1st May 2009 (5491 views)

Nanoscientists at the University of California, San Diego have reported the discovery of a potential new means to detect cancer.

To date, technology designed to identify tumours by making them glow has not been used in humans because of harmful effects.

But the team has developed biodegradable fluorescent nanoparticles that appear to have left no evidence of toxicity in the mice they were tested on.

The development has been described as a potential step towards nanotechnology - which often involves the use of gold - being used in mainstream.

And one of the team, chemistry professor Michael Sailor, remarked: "The important conclusion from this work is that the materials are nontoxic at the concentrations we need to use to see tumours."

Last month, a team at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology - part of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research - announced the development of gold nanoclusters, which may advance medical research by allowing sub-cellular imaging.

 

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