Nanoparticles kill cancer cells – healing practice

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New nanoparticles developed for cancer therapy

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in Germany and is often only treatable to a very limited extent. Researchers at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) report on their new study results, however, using newly developed special nanoparticles.

The LMU research team has developed nanoparticles that bypass the warning mechanisms of cancer cells, penetrate the cancer cells and release high amounts of calcium and citrate inside the cells, which leads to the death of the cells. This could offer entirely new options in cancer therapy. The corresponding study results were published in the specialist magazine “Chem” released.

Calcium phosphate & citrate as chemotherapy alternatives

The conventional chemotherapy against Krebs The researchers explain that they often have serious side effects, as the drugs administered are toxic to healthy cells. Calcium phosphate and citrate have been discussed as promising alternatives for some time. Although they lead to cell death if they get inside the cell in high concentrations, they are otherwise well tolerated by the body, according to the research team.

So far, however, it has not been possible to smuggle these substances past the strict control mechanisms of the cells into the cell interior. Calcium phosphate and citrate are involved in the regulation of many cellular signaling pathways and in order to avoid toxic doses inside cells, cells strictly control the absorption of these substances, the researchers explain.

Control mechanisms of cancer cells outwitted

The new “amorphous nanoparticle” that Dr. Constantin von Schirnding, Dr. Hanna Engelke and Professor Thomas Bein has now developed, consists of exactly the substances desired and can overcome the control mechanisms of the cells.

“We have produced amorphous, porous nanoparticles from calcium phosphate and citrate that are surrounded by a lipid layer,” explains Dr. from Schirnding. The coating enables the particles to penetrate the cell without its warning mechanisms working. “There they dissolve very efficiently and release large amounts of calcium and citrate,” said the LMU.

Selective killing of cancer cells

Cell tests have shown that “the particles are able to selectively kill cancer cells – healthy cells, on the other hand, survive even though they also take up the particles,” continues the LMU. According to Dr. Engelke, the particles were very toxic as soon as they hit cancer cells and “the more aggressive the tumor, the better the particles worked.”

Regarding the mechanism, the researchers explain that the particles are covered by an additional membrane when they are absorbed into the cells, which is likely to become perforated by a previously unknown mechanism in the cancer cells so that the components of the particles can penetrate the interior of the cell. In the healthy cells, however, the membrane remains intact and the nanospheres are excreted as a whole.

Successful tests on mice

In experiments on mice, the researchers have already achieved initial successes with the particles. “The highly selective toxicity of the particles enabled us to successfully treat two different aggressive pleural tumors in mice and to reduce their size by around 40 and 70 percent after only two local applications,” reports Dr. Engelke.

Pleural tumors are located in the so-called pleural gap between the lungs and breast and often metastases from lung tumors, the researchers explain. Since the pleural space is not supplied with blood, the usual chemotherapy drugs do not get there. “Our particles, on the other hand, can be introduced directly into the pleural gap,” says Professor Bein.

Approaches to new cancer therapies

According to the research team, there were no signs of serious side effects during the observation period of two months, so that the new nanoparticles appear to be well suited for the development of new cancer therapies. (fp)

Also read: Cancer: Mutated gene increases cancer risk – around every third person has this mutation.