Researchers from Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children's Hospital conducted experiments to cure brain tumors. In trials using heat, tumors of human brain cancer cells in animals injected successfully destroyed.
The test uses a nanoshell, nanoparticles that can be activated using light. Nanoshell is designed to destroy tumors with heat glioma. This method is used to avoid unwanted side effects of medication and therapy by radiation.
Researchers reported that more than half of the animals that received treatment with nanoshell to overcome glioma tumors did not show signs of cancer up to three months after treatment. The trial results are then reported in the journal Neuro-Oncology.
"The first round of tests on animals showed that one time, photothermal therapy with nanoshell can be a reasonable option for patients with gliomas," said Jennifer West, professor of bioengineering and Head of the Department of Bioengineering, Rice University.
As quoted from MedIndia, February 6, 2011, researchers injected rats nanoshell then waited for 24 hours for nanoparticles accumulate in the tumor.
Then, the laser beam near-infrared light - which is not harmful to healthy tissue - emitted into the tumor for three minutes. Nanoshell then convert laser light into heat that can kill tumors.
Of the seven animals that get nanoshell treatment, the cancer reappeared in three of these animals. Four other animals remained free of cancer and even up to 90 days after treatment.
