Researchers have developed an effective and non-invasive procedure to destroy cancer cells in the blood
Cancerous, which are spreading in our body through our circulatory system have a new enemy. Scientists have developed a special laser that is able, shining through the skin, to destroy cancer cells in the blood.
In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, the scientists responsible for this project boast that their laser was able to effectively detect cancer cells in 27 of 28 patients who volunteered to participate in this experiment. This means that the new cancer detection system is about 1000 times more sensitive than the current technology. First things first.
Laser cancer treatment
Vladimir Zharov came up with this idea about a decade ago and since then he has worked on further improvements of his concept, testing it initially on cancer cells in the laboratory, then on animals, and finally, after obtaining the approval of the American FDA, he could start testing on humans . More specifically: for melanoma patients or skin cancer.
The laser itself, aimed at the vein, sends energy to the bloodstream, producing heat. Circulating melanoma cells absorb more energy than normal cells, which causes them to heat up faster and expand. This thermal expansion, in turn, produces sound waves, known as the photoacoustic effect, which are recorded by a small ultrasonic transducer placed on the skin near the laser. Recordings indicate when cancer cells pass through the bloodstream.
The same laser can also be used to destroy CTC in real time. The heat from the laser causes the formation of vapor bubbles on the cancer cells. The bubbles expand and collapse, interacting with the cell and destroying it mechanically.
Non-invasive method of therapy
Thanks to these properties, this tool can give physicians a harmless, non-invasive and accurate way to hunt and destroy cancer cells before they can spread throughout the patient's body.
This technology can significantly inhibit the progression of metastases - says Vladimir Zharov, director of the nanomedicine center at the University of Arkansas in the field of medical science.
The spread of cancers is the main cause of cancer-related death. This spreading occurs when the primary tumor cells break off and travel through the bloodstream and lymphatic system, settling in new areas of the body and forming secondary tumors.
The purpose of the published study was to check the accuracy of the device in CTC detection. But even with the laser in the low energy diagnostic mode, he killed a significant number of CTCs in six patients. And this is just a prototype. Think what a ready-made commercial product will be capable of.
Researchers have developed an effective and non-invasive procedure to destroy cancer cells in the blood
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