FIU Scores Cancer Treatment Breakthrough In Lab
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Working together two schools at Florida International University may have come up with a breakthrough in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
In a study published Wednesday in Scientific Report, they used nanotechnology to deliver cancer killing drugs directly to the tumor.
In their lab experiment Taxol, a chemotherapy drug used to treat ovarian cancer, on to a magneto-electric nanoparticle. They then used an electric field to guide the nanoparticle into the tumor cells. With 24 hours the tumor was destroyed, while the normal ovarian cells were spared.
"Sparing healthy cells has been a major challenge in the treatment of cancer, especially with the use of Taxol; so in addition to treating the cancer, this could have a huge impact on side-effects and toxicity," said Dr. Carolyn Runowicz, executive dean for academic affairs at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
"This is an important beginning for us. I'm very excited because I believe that it can be applied to other cancers including breast cancer and lung cancer," said Sakhrat Khizroev, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university's College of Engineering and Computing.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecological cancers. According to the American Cancer Society 14,000 women will die this year from ovarian cancer.
