A cancer treatment that uses a combination of gold nanoshells and near-infrared light to burn tumors while sparing healthy tissue has proven effective
in mice.
The approach, being developed by researcher Jennifer West and colleagues at Rice University in Houston, Texas, could be a minimally invasive treatment
for tumors in humans.
"We are extremely encouraged by the results of these first animal tests," says West. "These results confirm that nanoshells are effective agents
for the photothermal treatment of in vivo tumors."
Gold nanoshells
Nanoshells—tiny particles of silica coated with gold—are about 20 times smaller than a red blood cell.
The cancer treatment developed by the Rice team uses nanoshells tuned to respond to near-infrared light.
Located just outside the visible spectrum, near-infrared light passes harmlessly through soft tissue to the nanoshells.
The nanoshells convert this light into heat, which destroys tumor cells without affecting healthy neighboring tissue.
More:
www.betterhumans.com... 
No idea why this hasn't hit the networks yet.
[edit on 23-6-2004 by Jonna]
