First they weaken them and then they attack them where "it hurts the most", in their DNA : this is the two-step strategy that MIT researchers have designed to fight cancer cells with nanoparticles .
Until now, this type of experimental technique only released one drug or, at most, several at the same time, as is also the case in conventional chemotherapy treatments. The novelty lies in administering the anticancer compounds at different times and thus multiplying their effectiveness.
Specifically, scientists have tested two medications in mice: erlotinib, which works against a protein involved in the tumor's ability to grow uncontrollably, and doxorubicin, which damages the DNA of invading cells.
The complementary action of these two substances, released consecutively by nanoparticles called liposomes, significantly reduced lung and breast cancers in laboratory animals. Between 4 and 24 hours elapsed between erlotinib reaching its peak of effectiveness and doxorubicin taking effect.
Furthermore, this system allows anticancer compounds to be released directly onto tumor tissue , unlike traditional chemotherapy, which causes collateral damage to healthy cells.
