Researchers at the University of California (USA) have managed to directly administer chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer tumors through the use of nanodiamonds. This innovative treatment is highly effective in shrinking cancer and reducing harmful side effects, as noted in previous studies.
Nanodiamonds are carbon particles 5 nanometers in diameter capable of transporting large amounts of drugs. The scientists created a combination of drug and nanodiamond that they injected into the brain tumors of mice, thus achieving a greater retention of the chemical inside the tumor and therefore an increase in the effectiveness of the treatment without affecting nearby tissues. On the other hand, they obtained a reduction in the toxic effects derived from chemotherapy.
Giovanni blastoma is the most common and deadly type of brain tumor. Despite surgical treatment, radiation and chemotherapy, the estimated life span of patients after diagnosis is less than a year and a half. These tumors are difficult to treat because the injected chemotherapy drugs are unable to penetrate the protective blood vessel system that surrounds the brain.
The finding shows that the collaboration between bioengineering and medicine is essential to develop a future less harmful and more forceful treatment against the disease.
