The ultimate cure for cancer is still many years from being realized, but it is definitely obtainable, says Dr. Jie Chen, a researcher and associate professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and a principal investigator for the National Institute of Nanotechnology, a Canada-based research and advocacy organization.

"Cancer is not an incurable disease," says Dr. Chen, but both the key and the greatest challenges are early detection and targeted, personalized medicine. "The FDA has approved some nanomedicine already and others are on their way for FDA approval. It's already happening."

Biosensor can smell cancer

Dr. Busnaina's research at Northeastern University is dedicated in part to nanotechnology that can detect certain biological tags indicating disease.

"We focus on micro-biosensors with nanoscale components and structures capable of the simultaneous monitoring of a variety of biomarkers in blood or other biological fluids to assess the progression of disease, toxicity, stress, etc," says Dr. Busnaina.

The university's NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) is dedicated to developing a process of assembling antibody-coated nanoparticles into "designated nanotrenches" - basically mobile nano pharmacies - that can provide controlled, multi-drug release in real time at the disease site. The research involves the attachment of a tiny chip about 0.1 mm square - smaller than a grain of sand - to a catheter, at which time the nanoparticles are assembled. The process is carried out by "microscopic vision guided micro-manipulators."

"This new nanobio chip design for biomarker monitoring is being tested in vitro and in vivo [using mice and an intravenous catheter] to determine detection limits and effectiveness," says Dr. Busnaina. "The detection limit of our biosensor is almost 1000 times better than current technology."

More nanopharmaceuticals - cancer-drug carriers and delivery systems

This is one of the biggest areas of research and development and several drugs are being "conjugated" with molecules that can protect and add stability to the drug and act as a kind of carrier, while improving blood circulation time and uptake by the body. A variety of particles are being researched to target cancer cells and provide nanoscale therapies.




"Many scientists throughout the world are working in this area," says Dr. Dong M. Shin, a leading investigator for the NIH-funded Center for Cancer Nanotechnology of Excellence and the principal investigator for the Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence. Dr. Shin is also a medical oncologist and professor of oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga. and associate director of the university's Winship Cancer Institute.

More Industry Headlines