Using genetically modified algae as a cancer treatment

Scientists have successfully created a genetically modified type of tiny algae that can kill 90% of cancer cells without harming other healthy cells.

The treatment has been shown to be effective against tumors in mice without affecting other parts of the body.

Developing drugs that can directly attack cancer cells in the body without affecting other parts of the body is a major challenge for cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, for example, can cause side effects that can affect a patient's hair, nails, and even bone marrow.

A new trend is to create drugs based on nanoparticles, which are introduced into the body to attack cancer cells. However, the production of these types of nanoparticles is very expensive and requires industrial chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid.

Now, however, a team of scientists from Australia and Germany have genetically modified a type of diatom to perform the synthesis of nanoparticles for this job.

“By genetically modifying diatoms, we can create antibodies on their surface,” said study leader Nico Voelcker, an expert in nanopharmaceuticals.

The diatom antibody nanoparticles only bind to molecules found in cancer cells, where they release the drug, exactly what the researchers wanted.

“More investment is needed in the development of drug carriers with natural, biocompatible and biodegradable properties,” the study authors wrote in Nature Communications.

Tiny diatoms meet these criteria and require little more than water and light to grow. By selecting the right antibodies, algae nanoparticles can be easily targeted to cancer cells.

“Although still in its early stages, this bioengineered, renewable material-based drug delivery system has great potential for treating solid tumors, including brain tumors, which are currently incurable,” said Voelcker.

According to vietnamnet