WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A breakthrough in cancer treatment has come from a joint effort between the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Porto in Portugal, creating a safer, more affordable, and easier alternative to treatments like chemotherapy and laser therapy.
Researchers have developed a novel therapy that utilizes near-infrared LED light and tiny engineered particles, specifically tin oxide (SnOx) nanoflakes, to selectively target and destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.
In lab studies published in ACS Nano, this method killed up to 92 percent of skin cancer cells and 50 percent of colorectal cancer cells in just 30 minutes, without harming healthy skin cells.
The key to the treatment is the SnOx nanoflakes, the tiny structures made by chemically changing tin disulfide (SnS2). They can absorb near-infrared light from LEDs and turn it into heat. This heat then destroys only the cancer cells around it, leaving healthy cells unharmed.
Moving ahead, the team plans to study more about how this light-and-nanomaterial process works and test other types of nanomaterials to make it even better. They also want to design easy-to-use devices that can deliver this therapy in clinics or even at home, especially for treating skin cancer.
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