Scientists have discovered a cheap and safe method to destroy cancer cells without chemotherapy.:

News Topical, Digital Desk : Tiny metal particles have the ability to target and destroy cancer cells, making them a promising area for cancer therapy. These nanoparticles work in several ways, including directly attacking cancer cells, delivering chemotherapy drugs directly to tumors, and enhancing the immune response. Additionally, metal nanoparticles can be used in advanced imaging techniques for early detection and monitoring of cancer.

Researchers have developed microscopic metal particles that destroy cancer cells and protect healthy tissue. The study, conducted by a team from Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), is still in the cell culture stage and has not been tested on animals or humans, Xinhua news agency reported. However, it suggests a new strategy for designing cancer treatments that take advantage of cancer's own vulnerabilities.

Compounds based on the rare metal molybdenum

An international team led by researchers at RMIT created microscopic particles made of molybdenum oxide, a compound based on the rare metal molybdenum often used in electronics and alloys. By modifying their chemical composition, the scientists enabled the particles to release reactive oxygen molecules. Unstable forms of oxygen damage cancer cells and activate their self-destruction process.

The study, published in the journal Advanced Science, reported that in the tests, the particles killed three times more cervical cancer cells than healthy cells within 24 hours without the need for any light, which is unusual for techniques relying on oxidative stress .

"Cancer cells are already under greater stress than healthy cells. Our particles increase that stress slightly, triggering self-destruction in cancer cells, while healthy cells tolerate it just fine," said first author Zhang Baoyu, from RMIT's School of Engineering.

Treatment is cheap and safe

Most cancer treatments affect both cancerous and healthy tissue, but the researchers said techniques that selectively stress cancer cells could enable more gentle and targeted treatments. They also added that these particles are made from common metal oxides, not expensive or toxic precious metals like gold or silver, making them potentially cheaper and safer to develop.