A new way to kill cancer cells has been found; 99 percent effective
Scientists have discovered a new way to destroy cancer cells.
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According to a study featured in Science Alert, scientists directed near-infrared light at aminocyanine molecules, causing them to vibrate. This was sufficient to rupture the membranes of cancer cells.
99 PERCENT SUCCESS IN ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS
Aminocyanine molecules are used as synthetic dyes in bio-imaging. They are generally used in low doses for cancer detection, remain stable in water, and can adhere well to the outer surface of cells.
The new approach, published in the journal Nature Chemistry, was developed by a research team from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas.
Chemist James Tour from Rice University calls this, "A whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers."
The use of near-infrared light is significant because it allows scientists to examine deeper into the body. With this method, bone and organ cancers could potentially be treated without surgery.
In tests conducted on lab-grown cancer cells, the method was shown to have a 99 percent cell-killing efficiency. The approach was also tested on mice, and half of the mice were cured of cancer. In the future, these experiments are expected to be conducted on more subjects.