Russian scientists have discovered a new way to destroy cancer cells using silver nanoparticles. This was reported by the press service of Tomsk Polytechnic University.
Silver nanoparticles are widely used in the field of nanotechnology due to their ease of preparation. Basically, their chemical properties are recovered from solution and in recent years they are often used for medicinal purposes. Now, experts from Tomsk Polytechnic University and colleagues from other institutes have obtained silver nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm by irradiation thanks to an accelerated electron beam. Further studies have shown that such nanoparticles have many biological properties.
It turned out that they are especially cytotoxic and cause the death of cancer cells. This has been confirmed in tests. in a laboratory setting with many cell types, including prostate cancer, colon cancer, neuroblastoma, ovarian leukemia, and breast cancer.
“Silver nanoparticles trigger a special mechanism of cell death – apoptosis. The dying cell is “packaged” into compact pieces, which the surrounding tissues and macrophages begin to absorb. This is not accompanied by a massive inflammatory process, as there is no exit from the cytoplasm as in cell death by necrosis, one of the study’s authors, Evgeny Plotnikov. “says.
In addition, the resulting nanoparticles are stable in water and can remain active in the body for a long time. Scientists also note that, first of all, silver nanoparticles “attack” actively proliferating (cancer) cells, while healthy ones are minimally affected.
The authors hope that their invention will become one of the components of treatment for many types of cancer.
ancient biologists raised artificial fat for test tube meat.