<p>Scientists have developed 'smart' self-regulating nanoparticles which heat up to a temperature high enough to kill cancerous cells, while too low to harm the healthy tissue.<br /><br />The self-stopping nanoparticles developed by researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK could soon be used as part of hyperthermic-thermotherapy to treat patients with cancer, researchers said.<br /><br />Thermotherapy has long been used as a treatment method for cancer, but it is difficult to treat patients without damaging healthy cells.<br /><br />However, tumour cells can be weakened or killed without affecting normal tissue if temperatures can be controlled accurately within a range of 42 to 45 degrees Celsius.<br />"This could potentially be a game changer in the way we treat people who have cancer," said Professor Ravi Silva, Head of the Advanced Technology Institute at Surrey.<br /><br />"If we can keep cancer treatment sat at a temperature level high enough to kill the cancer, while low enough to stop harming healthy tissue, it will prevent some of the serious side effects of vital treatment," said Silva.<br /><br />Scientists, including those from the Dalian University of Technology in China, created the nanoparticles which, when implanted and used in a thermotherapy session, can induce temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The zinc-cobalt-chromium (Zn-Co-Cr) ferrite nanoparticles produced for the study published in the journal Nanoscale are self-regulating, meaning that they self-stop heating when they reach temperatures over 45 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The nanoparticles are also low in toxicity and are unlikely to cause permanent damage to the body, researchers said.<br /><br />"Magnetic induced hyperthermia is a traditional route of treating malignant tumours," said Wei Zhang, associate professor at Dalian University of Technology.<br /><br />"However, the difficulties in temperature control has significantly restricted its usage.<br />"If we can modulate the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles, the therapeutic temperature can be self- regulated, eliminating the use of clumsy temperature monitoring and controlling systems," Zhang said.</p>
<p>Scientists have developed 'smart' self-regulating nanoparticles which heat up to a temperature high enough to kill cancerous cells, while too low to harm the healthy tissue.<br /><br />The self-stopping nanoparticles developed by researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK could soon be used as part of hyperthermic-thermotherapy to treat patients with cancer, researchers said.<br /><br />Thermotherapy has long been used as a treatment method for cancer, but it is difficult to treat patients without damaging healthy cells.<br /><br />However, tumour cells can be weakened or killed without affecting normal tissue if temperatures can be controlled accurately within a range of 42 to 45 degrees Celsius.<br />"This could potentially be a game changer in the way we treat people who have cancer," said Professor Ravi Silva, Head of the Advanced Technology Institute at Surrey.<br /><br />"If we can keep cancer treatment sat at a temperature level high enough to kill the cancer, while low enough to stop harming healthy tissue, it will prevent some of the serious side effects of vital treatment," said Silva.<br /><br />Scientists, including those from the Dalian University of Technology in China, created the nanoparticles which, when implanted and used in a thermotherapy session, can induce temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The zinc-cobalt-chromium (Zn-Co-Cr) ferrite nanoparticles produced for the study published in the journal Nanoscale are self-regulating, meaning that they self-stop heating when they reach temperatures over 45 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The nanoparticles are also low in toxicity and are unlikely to cause permanent damage to the body, researchers said.<br /><br />"Magnetic induced hyperthermia is a traditional route of treating malignant tumours," said Wei Zhang, associate professor at Dalian University of Technology.<br /><br />"However, the difficulties in temperature control has significantly restricted its usage.<br />"If we can modulate the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles, the therapeutic temperature can be self- regulated, eliminating the use of clumsy temperature monitoring and controlling systems," Zhang said.</p>