Experimental therapy destroys cancer cells without the use of drugs

The nanoparticles, which are deadly to cancer, can be used to fight the disease by obscuring their true nature. Nanoparticles, which are "camouflaged" as amino acids necessary for the development of cancer, can penetrate the cancer cell and, following the principle of the "Trojan horse", blow it up from the inside. The method proved to be very promising in laboratory experiments.

This "Trojan horse" is actually a nanoparticle covered in the amino acid L-phenylalanine, which is essential for cancer cells to survive and grow. L-phenylalanine is not produced in the body and has to be ingested from food, usually meat and dairy products, "said researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Their research was published in the journal"Small" released.

Image source: Nanyang Technology University Singapore 

A nanoparticle in the cancer

So far, scientists have shown that cancer growth can be slowed or stopped by starving cancer cells, which means eating fewer amino acids that are necessary for their growth. Research shows that eating a proper protein-free diet can help Nano pPAAM - a new cancer drug? Scientists have tested the effectiveness of nano-pPAAM in the laboratory. They found that the nanoparticle killed about 80% of breast, skin and stomach cancer cells, which can be compared to the effectiveness of drugs currently used in chemotherapy. In mice the development of cancer was after administration of Nano pPAAM significantly reduced compared to control models. Further studies have shown that the amino acid coating of Nano pPAAM supports the penetration of nanoparticles into cancer cells. Once inside, the nanoparticle stimulates the excessive production of reactive oxygen species, causing the cell to self-destruct. At the same time, nothing bad happens to the remaining healthy cells.
- The problem with the current chemotherapy is that the recurring cancer becomes resistant to the administered drugs - says research co-author Prof. Tan Nguan. - Our strategy does not involve the use of additional pharmacological agents, but it is based on the unique properties of nanoparticles, which release such levels of reactive forms of oxygen that cancer cells are killed, "he adds.

- This new approach gives hope to help people who do not benefit from conventional treatment. Cancers often develop mechanisms of resistance to the drugs currently in use, rendering them ineffective. Such a "Trojan horse" works through a completely different mechanism. And it is one that cells cannot become immune to, "argues oncologist Professor Tan Ern Yu, referring to new research.

Scientists want the composition of Nano pPAAM further improve to make the nanoparticle even more precise in reaching certain types of cancer. Treating cancer can help.
However, such strict diets are not suitable for all patients. Some suffer from malnutrition, others are devastated by a long illness that leads to weight and muscle loss. Also, following similar diets can be very difficult for some.
Knowing that cancer cells are dependent on amino acids, the scientists decided to approach the problem from a different angle. They used a nanoparticle made of silicon dioxide and covered it with L-phenylalanine. In laboratory tests, it was found that such a combination kills cancer cells and causes them to self-destruct.
The therapeutic nanoparticle is extremely small, 30 nanometers in diameter, which is 30 thousand times smaller than the diameter of the hair. It is called "Nanoscopic mimicking of the porous amino acid phenylalanine", short for Nano pPAAM.

The team of scientists says the results of the laboratory tests are very promising. - In the past, nanomaterials were used as drug carriers rather than drugs. We changed that approach, "says Prof. Dalton Tay, the lead research author. Nano pPAAM reaches the cancer cells and kills them without any external activation. The amino acid L-phenylalanine acts like a "Trojan horse", a cloak that covers the nanotherapist, "he adds.

Nano-pPAAM - a new cancer drug?

Scientists have proven the effectiveness of Nano pPAAM tested in the laboratory. They found that the nanoparticle killed about 80% of breast, skin and stomach cancer cells, which can be compared to the effectiveness of drugs currently used in chemotherapy. In mice the development of cancer was after administration of Nano pPAAM significantly reduced compared to control models.
Further studies have shown that the amino acid coating of Nano pPAAM supports the penetration of nanoparticles into cancer cells. Once inside, the nanoparticle stimulates the excessive production of reactive oxygen species, causing the cell to self-destruct. At the same time, nothing bad happens to the remaining healthy cells.
- The problem with the current chemotherapy is that the recurring cancer becomes resistant to the administered drugs - says research co-author Prof. Tan Nguan. - Our strategy does not involve the use of additional pharmacological agents, but it is based on the unique properties of nanoparticles, which release such levels of reactive forms of oxygen that cancer cells are killed, "he adds.
- This new approach gives hope to help people who do not benefit from conventional treatment. Cancers often develop mechanisms of resistance to the drugs currently in use, rendering them ineffective. Such a "Trojan horse" works through a completely different mechanism. And it is one that cells cannot become immune to, "argues oncologist Professor Tan Ern Yu, referring to new research. Scientists want the composition of Nano pPAAM further improve to make the nanoparticle even more precise in reaching certain types of cancer.