Nanotechnology-Based Cancer Treatment Can Reduce Side Effects

By Will SoutterJun 8 2012

Conventional cancer treatments are accompanied by a host of side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

The intensity of the side effects is many a time so acute that it poses a deterrent to further treatment. The reason behind the side effects is that existing cancer treatment methods do not address just the cancerous cells, but also affect the healthy cells in the proximity.

The cover story of the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) talks about a new class of nanotechnology-based cancer treatments that target only the cancer cells while leaving the healthy cells untouched. By virtue of their extremely small size, drugs made of nanoparticles, can travel not only right inside the site of tumor through the tiny blood vessel passages, but also to individual diseased cells and carry out the healing process. Some of these nanomedicines have already moved out of the laboratory into clinical trials for cancer patients. The article elaborates on these nanomedicines and others that are on their way to being launched for trials.

C&EN is published every week by the U.S. Congress chartered non-profit organization, The American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS has a 164,000 membership base making it one of the largest scientific societies. ACS’ scientific conferences, numerous databases and journals provide access to research carried out in the field of chemistry.