[ExI] The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure?

Stathis Papaioannou stathisp at gmail.com
Fri Apr 25 03:13:41 UTC 2008


2008/4/25 John Grigg <possiblepaths2050 at gmail.com>:
> Could this be the huge leap forward in cancer research we all dream about?
>
> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/10/60minutes/main4006951.shtml

The article describes a way of killing tumour cells by selectively
attaching metal nanoparticles to them and then exposing them to radio
waves, which cook the cancer cells but leave normal cells alone. But
this is just a variation on the theme of using monoclonal antibodies
to kill tumour cells either through the normal mechanisms of the
patient's immune system or by linking the antibody with a radionuclide
or potent toxin. The main problem is not how to kill tumour cells but
how to selectively target them, which involves finding an antigen that
is selectively expressed on tumour cells and then making monoclonal
antibodies to that antigen. Despite decades of research only two
antibody therapies for cancer are widely used today: trastuzumab for
breast cancer and rituximab for B cell leukaemia and lymphoma.



-- 
Stathis Papaioannou



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