Hollow gold nanotubes have the potential to detect as well as destroy cancer cells. The gold tubes have several applications for battling cancer.

These tubes, according to the lead author of the study, Dr Sunjie Ye of the Leeds Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the University of Leeds, can be used for high resolution imaging, for delivering drugs and for destroying cancer cells.

The nanotubes, which resemble drinking straws, can boost the effectiveness of cancer treatments by assimilating therapy and diagnosis in a single system. The high rate of cancer recurrence following surgical removal still remains a tough challenge for treating cancer. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy, given to patients after surgery to prevent reoccurence, have serious side effects.

The researchers are able to regulate the length of the nanotubes, which enables them to create nanotubes of the correct dimension so that they absorb a type of light referred to as near infrared. The authors of the study say that human tissues are actually transparent for some light frequencies in the infrared and red regions, which is why some parts of the human hand appears red when held over a flashllifght. When the gold nanotubes travel through the body, if light of the right frequency is shone on them, it absorbs the light. The light energy is then converted to heat. Using a pulsed laser beam, the temperature in the vicinity of the nanotubes is raised enough to destroy the cancer cells. By adjusting the laser pulse’s brightness, the researchers can control the application of the nanotubes to destroy cancer cells or for imaging tumors.

The nanotubes are hollow and can carry medicines tailored to individual patients. Doctors can personalise cancer medicines and then use the nanotubes for better cancer treatment with limited side effects. The use of gold nanotubes for cancer imaging and treatment is in the trial stages but is moving towards clinical studies. This nanotechnology allows doctors to treat the cancer as soon as it is spotted.

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