Tuesday, 29th July 2008 (1018 views)

The winner of the Science Writer Awards 2008, age group 15 to 19, has been talking to the Telegraph newspaper about the use of nanoparticles in cancer treatment.

Arron Rodrigues spoke about a new method called AuroLase Therapy.

A team of scientists led by Dr Jennifer West at Rice University in Texas managed to kill cancer cells in mice within ten days by using this treatment.

It did this by exposing the cells to very small nanoshells - coated in gold - through a laser.

Such has been the success of the research that human patients will now be studied.

The nanoshells can allow much more accurate targeting of bad cells in the human body.

The improvement will be remarkable, said Mr Rodrigues, who quoted science writer Kevin Kelleher as saying: "Today's best cancer treatments destroy tumour cells with about as much precision as an atomic bomb."

Gold is used to coat the nanoshells as it is biocompatible, meaning the body will tolerate it in its system.

Erika Cule won the Science Writer Award 2008 for the age group 20 to 28.

 

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