Combining photodynamic therapy and radiation therapy for deep cancer treatment,

2009 : June 2009 - Fast Breaking Papers : Wei Chen

FAST BREAKING PAPERS - 2009 June 2009 Wei Chen talks with ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about this month's Fast Breaking Paper in the field of Materials Science. Article Title: Nanoparticle fluorescence based technology for biological applications Authors: Chen, W Journal: J NANOSCI NANOTECHNOL Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Page: 1019-1051 Year: MAR 2008 * Univ Texas Arlington, Dept Phys, POB 19059, Arlington, TX 76019 USA. * Univ Texas Arlington, Dept Phys, Arlington, TX 76019 USA. Why do you think your paper is highly cited? This is a review article that summarized the research projects undertaken in my lab. It also introduced several related activities from among other groups. Several of our projects have been of interest to public readers. This paper contains much new information and I think this may have been why it has been highly cited. Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of knowledge? It describes new concepts and methodologies, particularly the concept of nanoparticle self-lighting photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment, the concept of combining photodynamic therapy and radiation therapy for deep cancer treatment, and the applications of nanoparticle photosensitizers for cancer treatment. These are brand new approaches in nanotechnology. Would you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms? In this paper, we introduced several new developments in nanotechnology for biological applications. For example, nanoparticle-based photodynamic therapy is one of the most exciting approaches described in this article. The goal is to find an efficient cancer therapy by developing X-ray luminescence nanoparticles as a light source for photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy has been designated as a "promising new modality in the treatment of cancer" since the early 1980s. Light must be delivered in order to activate photodynamic therapy. Most drugs used for photodynamic therapy require ultraviolet or blue light for activation. Unfortunately, ultraviolet and blue light have minimal penetration into tissue and their application for deep cancer therapy is a problem. "...the slowing economy in the USA has really affected the funding of many new scientific projects." To solve this problem and also to enhance the treatment for deep cancers, we proposed a new photodynamic therapy system in which the light is generated by X-ray luminescence nanoparticles. The X-ray luminescence nanoparticles and afterglow nanoparticles are attached to photoactive drugs and, when the nanoparticle-drug systems are targeted to the tumor and are stimulated by an X-ray during radiotherapy, these nanoparticles will generate light (energy) which activate the drugs for photodynamic therapy. In this case, no direct light delivery to the tumor is necessary and very low doses of radiation are needed. In this modality, the radiation and photodynamic therapies are combined and occur simultaneously, so that the tumor destruction will be more efficient. More importantly, it can be used for deep tumor treatment, as X-rays can penetrate deeply into the tissue. Once demonstrated, this will provide a simple but more efficient modality for breast cancer treatment. How did you become involved in this research, and were there any problems along the way? I have been working on nanotechnologies for the past 15 years. My original work concentrated on trying to use quantum dots for in vivo imaging, with a concentration on the challenge of light penetration. I also have experience with the design and synthesis scintillation measurement for nanoparticles. I knew light delivery was also a challenging issue for photodynamic therapy, just like in vivo optical imaging. I then arrived at the idea to combine photodynamic therapy with radiation therapy through scintillation nanoparticles for deep cancer treatment. Photodynamic therapy is not new, nor is radiation therapy, but the combination of both through scintillation nanoparticles is new and potentially important for deep cancer treatment. I introduced the concept in a paper published in the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in 2006. (Wei Chen and Jun Zhang, "Using Nanoparticles to Enable Simultaneous Radiation and Photodynamic Therapies for Cancer Treatment," Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 6[4]: 1159-66, April, 2006). Initial results of the studies have been promising. But before "nanoparticle self-lighting photodynamic therapy" becomes a clinical reality, researchers must overcome two main challenges: 1) they need to develop a class of water-soluble scintillation nanoparticles with very high quantum efficiencies of X-ray luminescence, and 2) they need to improve the targeting capabilities of the nanoparticle-photosensitizer compound—but this is a challenge for all drug-based cancer treatments. Most recently, we've used afterglow nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy activation. This is a good solution for improving efficiency since afterglow nanoparticles will maintain their luminescence for a certain period of time after activation. In this case, the radiation dose will be reduced exponentially. This new concept is also introduced in a recent publication: Chen, W. "Nanoparticle self-Lighting photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment," J. Biomed. Nanotechnol 4[4]: 369-76, 2008. Where do you see your research leading in the future? This concept is getting more popular and has become intriguing to many investigators. I think this will become quite a hot area during the next decade and that products for practical applications will, sooner or later, be realized. One of our recent review papers has appeared on the ScienceDirect "25 Hottest Articles" list for October—December, 2008: (Juzenas, P., et al.,"Quantum dots and nanoparticles for photodynamic and radiation therapies of cancer," Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews [60]15: 1600-14, December 2008). By the way, many cancer patients and/or their families have contacted me directly and enquired as to the timing for this new modality to become available for patient treatment. I have sensed this urgent need and that is the key motivation for my research. Do you foresee any social or political implications for your research? Although there are no obvious political implications for my research, the slowing economy in the USA has really affected the funding of many new scientific projects. Wei Chen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Physics Department of Physics The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX, USA Source

Portable Device Can Detect Viruses In Minutes

ScienceDaily (May 28, 2009) — Imagine being able to detect in just a few minutes whether someone is infected with a virus. This has now become a reality, thanks to a new ultra-sensitive detector that has been developed by Ostendum, a spin-off company of the University of Twente.

Schematic representation of the sensor: light from a laser is directed onto a wave-guide structure (chip) on which several measuring and reference channels are located. Different types of antibodies that are specific to certain micro-organisms (or types of micro-organism) are first immobilized onto each measuring channel. The liquid from the sample enters a particular channel on the chip via a micro-fluid system (not shown on the diagram above) that is connected to the measuring and reference channels on the chip. When a micro-organism, such as a virus that is present in the sample being analyzed, binds to the relevant antibody on the chip, the interference pattern of the light changes -- this is recorded on a CCD camera. An accurate analysis of the change in the interference pattern also provides information about the quantity of virus particles that are specifically bound in a given channel on the chip, and this means the concentration of a micro-organism in a sample can be determined. The method is fast and simple, and yet very sensitive. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Twente)

The company has just completed the first prototype and expects to be able to introduce the first version of the detector onto the market in late 2010. Not only does the detector carry out measurements many times faster than do standard techniques, it is also portable, so it can be used anywhere.

Ostendum’s Aurel Ymeti (R&D director), Alma Dudia (Senior Researcher) and Paul Nederkoorn (CEO) claim that if they had the right antibodies to the swine flu at their disposal, they would be able to highlight the presence of the virus within five minutes. In addition to viruses, the device is also able to pick up bacteria, proteins and DNA molecules.

Following the outbreak of swine flu, the issue of finding a means of detecting quickly and simply whether someone is infected with a virus is again very much on the agenda. It is important to be able to do so as soon as possible in order to prevent the virus from spreading further. However, the techniques that are currently available do not yield results for several hours or even days. Moreover, the tests cannot be carried out without a laboratory or trained personnel.

Researchers at Ostendum, a spin-off company of the University of Twente, have developed a portable device that can show in five minutes whether or not a person is infected with a particular virus. The system is able to detect not only viruses, but also specific bacteria, proteins and DNA molecules, an increased or reduced concentration of which in a person’s saliva may be an indication that they have one illness or another.

The only thing needed by the Ostendum detection method is a sample of saliva, blood or another body fluid from the person being tested and the availability of a specific receptor (i.e. a substance that binds with a specific micro-organism or biological substance). For example, in the case of a virus, a specific antibody served as a receptor on the chip and such antibody to that virus has to be available in order to be able to apply the underlying detection method.

Prototype

Ymeti demonstrated during his doctoral research in 2007 that the principle behind the detector worked. At the time, he used a fairly sizeable laboratory set-up. The Ostendum company was subsequently founded, in 2008, in order to develop the principle into a marketable product.

The company has just completed the first prototype of the device, and it is presently working on two others. The three prototypes are undergoing practical tests, in a collaboration involving the Laboratorium Microbiologie Twente Achterhoek and the Zwanenberg Food Group. Ostendum will then make further improvements to the design of the device on the basis of the test results, and expects to have the first device ready for introduction to the marketplace in late 2010.

How it works

The device consists of two parts: a lab-on-a-chip-system and a portable detector. A lab-on-a-chip is a miniature laboratory the size of a chip. The chip contains tiny channels that are coated with receptors. The blood or saliva sample is transported to the channels with the help of a fluid system. Substances from the saliva or blood can then bind with the receptors on the chip. Light from a laser is guided through the channels. If any of the substances binds with the receptors in any of the channels, this will alter the phase of the light. Such a change will manifest itself in the interference pattern, and is a fingerprint of any viruses present, for example, or biomarkers. The method is highly sensitive: it is possible to measure the binding of a single virus particle.

Source

NanoViricides, Inc. Announces Influenza Testing Agreement for FluCide

Broadly-neutralizing Activity Against Multiple Strains to be Evaluated

* On Tuesday May 26, 2009, 7:00 am EDT

WEST HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), announced today that it has signed a pre-clinical study agreement for the evaluation of FluCide™, NanoViricides’ universal anti-influenza drug candidate. The study will be conducted by Thevac, LLC, a spin-off of the Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA. It will be performed in collaboration with the Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, which administers the LSU-Tulane Center for Experimental Infectious Disease Research (Director, K. G. Kousoulas, PhD).

The study will initially evaluate effectiveness of nanoviricide™ drug candidates against a virulent H1N1 strain which caused a severe outbreak in 1930. This well-characterized virus is expected to be a good surrogate for the current 2009 H1N1 influenza (“swine flu”) that is in the pre-pandemic stage according to the WHO. The study will then be expanded to include other influenza subtypes that are feared to be on the horizon, such as H3N2.

“We are very pleased to have a recognized expert like Dr. Kousoulas associated with this study,” said Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of NanoViricides, Inc.

The Company has previously reported that a prior version of FluCide drug candidate was superior in its effect by a very large margin when compared to oseltamivir (Tamiflu®, Roche) in an animal study. The Company has also previously reported that the same drug candidate was highly effective in cell culture studies against two different kinds of H5N1 bird flu virus, namely Vietnam 2004 Clade I virus, and Vietnam 2006 Clade II virus. The latter is closely related to the Indonesia 2006 H5N1 virus that is currently causing human fatalities in Indonesia.

“We have significantly improved the chemistry of the anti-influenza nanoviricide, both in terms of the ligand, and in terms of the backbone polymer since those early studies,” said Anil R. Diwan, Ph.D., President of the Company, adding, “We expect the new drug candidate to be even more effective than the previous one. This improved candidate is also expected to be effective against a much broader spectrum of influenza viruses than the previous one.”

NanoViricides, Inc. believes that it is possible to design a single drug capable of attacking most if not all influenza viruses because all influenza viruses use the same cell surface receptor, called sialic acid. While sialic acid occurs in two distinct conformations, the Company believes that it has designed ligands that may be capable of mimicking both of these conformations. A nanoviricide is a cell surface mimetic, and thus is designed to trap a virus particle that is targeted by the ligand attached to the nanoviricide surface. Such trapping may be expected to lead to disassembly of the virus particle, or complete killing of the virus. This represents a substantial advance beyond immunotherapeutics, or use of antibodies to combat viral diseases.

“The NanoViricides technology appears to be very promising for treating a variety of viral diseases including influenza,” says Dr. Kousoulas. Dr. Kousoulas has been previously involved with several influenza animal studies.

About THEVAC, LLC

THEVAC, LLC is a LSU spin-of company, which has been formed to produce valuable reagents and provide sophisticated services to industry in collaboration with LSU Baton Rouge.

About NanoViricides:

NanoViricides, Inc. (www.nanoviricides.com) is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for viral therapy. The Company's novel nanoviricide™ class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them. The Company is developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including H5N1 bird flu, seasonal Influenza, HIV, EKC, Hepatitis C, Rabies, Dengue fever, and Ebola virus, among others.

Contact:

NanoViricides, Inc.
Amanda Schuon, 310-550-7200
info@nanoviricides.com

Source

Advanced Cancer Treatment Center Launches New Website

May 25, 2009

Cancer Treatment Center, Indiana Center for Advanced Medicine, specializes in Photodynamic Therapies to treat Breast, Skin and Prostate Cancer, announces the launch of their new website http://www.pdtcancertreatment.com

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) May 25, 2009 -- Indiana Center for Advanced Medicine, of Indianapolis Indiana, is pleased to announce the launch of their new Website. The site is designed to provide patients easy access to the specific treatment processes and an overview of the cutting edge technology used in their minimally invasive cancer treatments. The new website at http://www.pdtcancertreatment.com is patient friendly and informative with sample protocols.

Over the last 25 years, the staff at the Indiana Center for Advanced Medicine has been at the forefront of developing Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Sonodynamic Treatments (SDT). These exciting treatments have progressed rapidly especially over the last 10 years. The treatments are normally performed as an outpatient procedure and may be used in conjunction with other therapies such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The American Cancer Society reports that studies have shown PDT can work as well as surgery or radiation therapy in treating certain kinds of cancers and pre-cancerous conditions.

The Indiana Center of Advanced Medicine (Center) is treating Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Skin Cancer using Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) along with Sonodynamic Therapy (SPT). PDT and SPT have been found to be very effective in treating these cancers. These therapies are targeted, less invasive than surgery, and have no long term side effects.

The new website for the Indiana Center of Advanced Medicine can be found at http://pdtcancertreatment.com

About Indiana Center of Advanced Medicine:
At its clinic in Indianapolis, the Indiana Center for Advanced Medicine (Center) is currently treating Breast, Skin and Prostate Cancers. The Center has over 25 years of experience using and developing PDT treatments. Essentially, PDT is a process that uses a photosynthesizing agent and particular wavelengths of light to kill cancer cells. The Indiana Center for Advanced Medicine uses the latest available Chlorophyll based photosynthesizing agent (INDICHLOR ®) which is taken orally. PDT treatments are less invasive than surgery, have not long term side effects and are precisely targeted.

The Indiana Center For Advanced Medicine
8330 Naab Road, Suite 235
Indianapolis IN 46260 USA
317.228.9270

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/05/prweb2439154.htm

And XYTOS?:
Medical Research Facility- 8330 Naab Road - Inside view of treatment center: http://www.xytos.com/media-us-center.htm
See address in iBox here:
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/board.aspx?board_id=12520

Dense, long-lived iron-in-tube memory developed

Peter Clarke EE Times Europe (05/25/2009 9:29 AM EDT) Abstract We report on a simple electromechanical memory device in which an iron nanoparticle shuttle is controllably positioned within a hollow nanotube channel. The shuttle can be moved reversibly via an electrical write signal and can be positioned with nanoscale precision. The position of the shuttle can be read out directly via a blind resistance read measurement, allowing application as a nonvolatile memory element with potentially hundreds of memory states per device. The shuttle memory has application for archival storage, with information density as high as 1012 bits/in2, and thermodynamic stability in excess of one billion years. LONDON — Researchers have developed a memory technology that should be ultra-dense compared with conventional silicon-based memories and that can store data for more than one billion years. The information density can be as high as 1-terabit per square inch, according to a paper from the research team, led by Alex Zettl, of the University of California, Berkeley. The memory is based on a nanoscale particle of iron that is contained and controllable positioned within a hollow carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotube is anchored to electrodes at either end and the nanoparticle can be moved, via an electrical write signal, and can be positioned anywhere within the tube. The position of the nanoparticle can be read out via a resistance read measurement, allowing application as a nonvolatile memory element with potentially hundreds of memory states per device. Source

'Tamed' virus wipes out cancer cells safely

Published: 22/05/2009 - PDF Version (93 KB)

Scientists have tamed a virus so that it attacks and destroys cancer cells but does not harm healthy cells, according to a paper published in PLoS Pathogens.

Scientists based at the University of Oxford modified a common virus - called an adenovirus - so that it could deliver vital genetic therapy to destroy tumours without poisoning the liver. The changes enabled the virus to keeps its natural ‘infectious’ characteristics to replicate in - and kill - cancer cells in mice. But for the first time the virus was also recognised and destroyed by healthy mouse liver cells, so it was no longer toxic.

Adenoviruses have been used as cancer therapies in clinical trials in the UK but have not yet been licensed here. To date the viruses have always been converted to a weakened form so they don't cause organ damage. This is achieved by deleting parts of the viruses’ genetic information. In this research the scientists have for the first time modified a virus so that it cannot replicate in the liver and cause liver damage, allowing the viruses to be used at full strength and to maximum effect.

Lead author, Professor Leonard Seymour, a Cancer Research UK scientist, based at the University of Oxford, said: “The approach we developed is easy to use and flexible. It may help in the development of future therapeutic viruses that are specific to certain disease sites. This modified virus was effective in these laboratory studies, but transfer of the technology to the clinic to be used with patients will require further work - and it will probably be at least two years before this can happen.”

Modified naturally-occurring viruses have already had important uses in medicine including their use as vaccines, notably for measles, mumps, polio, influenza, and chicken pox. They have already been developed as potential cancer-killing therapies, in an approach called virotherapy.

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer information, said: “Decades of research has already led to the development of new and exciting approaches to treating cancer in a more targeted and efficient way.

“The ability to produce viruses that can replicate in cells, but have any harmful characteristics removed so they are no longer lethal, should provide a new platform for development of improved cancer treatments - as well as better vaccines for a broad range of viral diseases.”

Source

Common virus may cause high blood pressure: study

Thu May 14, 2009 8:04pm EDT

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A common virus may be a major cause of high blood pressure, researchers said on Thursday in a finding that may bring new approach to treating a condition that affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.

Based on a series of studies in mice, they said cytomegalovirus or CMV -- a herpes virus that affects some 60 to 99 percent of adults globally -- appears to increase inflammation in blood vessels, causing high blood pressure.

And when combined with a fatty diet, CMV may also cause hardening of the arteries, a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease, they said.

"I think it could be very important," said Dr. Clyde Crumpacker of Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, who worked on the study in the Public Library of Science Journal PLoS Pathogens.

"It may suggest a whole new way of looking at high blood pressure and vascular disease," Crumpacker said in a telephone interview.

He said the research offers the first direct proof that the virus causes persistent infection in blood vessels. Doctors typically use generic drugs such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors to control blood pressure, a condition that affects one in every three adults in the United States.

Crumpacker said the study suggests vaccines and antiviral drugs may offer a new approach at treating hypertension.

Currently, there is no vaccine, but several companies, including Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis , GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Vical, are working on them.

And Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG makes an antiviral drug called Valcyte to prevent CMV infections in transplant recipients.

CMV AND DIET

By age 40, most adults will have been exposed to CMV, although many never experience any symptoms. But the virus can cause harm in people with compromised immune systems, such as transplant recipients, and it is a major cause of birth defects in babies whose mothers were infected during pregnancy.

In one experiment, Crumpacker and colleagues examined four groups of lab mice. Two were fed a standard diet and two were fed a high fat diet. After for weeks, half of the mice from the standard and fatty diet groups were exposed to the virus.

Six weeks later, mice in both infected groups had elevated blood pressure, but 30 percent of infected mice on high cholesterol diet also showed signs of atherosclerosis.

"This strongly suggests that the CMV infection and the high cholesterol diet might be working together," Crumpacker said.

In another study of kidney cells in infected mice, the team found high levels of the enzyme renin, which is known to cause high blood pressure. They found the same high rates of the enzyme in human blood vessel cells infected with CMV.

And they found that CMV infection increased markers for inflammation in blood vessels.

More research is needed looking at the role of viruses in causing heart disease, but Crumpacker said the findings suggest new treatment possibilities.

"Some cases of hypertension might be treated or prevented by antiviral therapy or a vaccine against CMV," he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE54E00E20090515

Cancer, MS, high blood pressure - what else will viruses be shown to cause! And NNVC's Cides will cure them all. Eh? That should be good for a nickel rise tomorrow. VVBG.

Combination nanoparticles to fight cancer

13 May 2009

Korean chemists have assembled a multitalented nanoparticle that can hunt down, treat, and illuminate cancerous cells. The therapy combines diagnosis, treatment, and real-time monitoring of cancer progression, and although it may be several years before it reaches the market, it is a bold step towards useful nanoparticle-based medicine.

'We have created a new type of magnetic nanoparticle that is designed to target only highly cancerous cells without harming normal cells,' says Jinwoo Cheon, who led the research with Tae Gwan Park at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. 'The particle is effective at delivering treatments to the cells and also has strong MRI and optical imaging capabilities.'

The particle has four key components. The core is a magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle, which can act as a contrast agent for MRI. Attached to the surface of this nanoparticle is the second component - a peptide that binds to integrin, a receptor found in higher quantities on the surface of cancerous cells. This allows the particle to tightly grip onto the target cells.

The third part is a protein called a small interfering RNA (siRNA). These are fragments of double-stranded RNA that are designed to attack specific genes inside cancer cells. The siRNA works by shredding messenger RNA (mRNA), which prevents crucial proteins from being made and therefore stops tumour growth.

The final component is a conjugated organic dye molecule, which allows the molecules to be spotted under fluorescence spectrometry. This, combined with the MRI detection, should allow the progress of the disease to be closely monitored to track the success of any treatments.

The nanoparticles are comprised of four different components - each of which has an important function. © Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.

The particle has only been tested in cell cultures so far, but the team is confident that there is good potential for success in animals. 'Most of the components are made from materials that are known to be non-toxic, so we are hopeful that our particles will be biocompatible,' Cheon told Chemistry World. 'If everything goes well, it would take at least five years to reach the market.'

'These multimodal nanoparticles are an attractive proof of principle of what may one day be achieved in humans in terms of nanoparticle-based therapy,' says Raphael Lévy, a bionanotechnology expert at the University of Liverpool, UK. 'But equally importantly, they are important tools to further our understanding of interactions of nanoparticles with cells.'

Lewis Brindley

Source

MIT: Nanotech targets and kills cancerous tumors

Sharon Gaudin
07.05.2009 kl 18:45 | IDG News Service

Scientists have long known that heat is an effective weapon against cancerous tumors. The problem, though, has been how to heat the tumors to the point that it kills them without damaging surrounding tissue.

Scientists have long known that heat is an effective weapon against cancerous tumors. The problem, though, has been how to heat the tumors to the point that it kills them without damaging surrounding tissue.

Now researchers MIT think they have the answer: nanotechnology.

The school announced this week that the researchers have developed gold nanoparticles that can target tumors and heat them with minimal side effects to nearby healthy cells. While the gold nanorods were used in the study to find and hone in on tumors, they also might be able to diagnose cancer, according to MIT graduate student Geoffrey von Maltzahn, who worked with Sangeeta Bhatia, a professor in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, to develop the nanoparticles.

The researchers said that tumors in mice that received the nanorod treatment disappeared within 15 days. The cancer did not reoccur for the duration of the three-month study.

This news comes just months after MIT announced that a group of scientists there had developed nanotechnology that can be placed inside living cells to determine whether chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer are reaching their targets or attacking healthy cells. Researchers use carbon nanotubes wrapped in DNA so they can be safely injected into living tissue.

And last August, scientists at Stanford University reported that they had found a way to use nanotechnology to have chemotherapy drugs target only cancer cells, keeping healthy tissue safe from the treatment's toxic effects.

And that news came on the heels of a report out last July noting that researchers at the University of California, San Diego, had discovered a way to use nanotechnology-based "smart bombs" to send lower doses of chemotherapy to cancerous tumors, thus cutting down the cancer's ability to spread throughout the body.

Cancer researchers have long been trying to figure out a way to better attack cancer cells without harming surrounding cells as well. That has been one of the major drawbacks of chemotheraphy and radiation therapy, which often have debilitating side effects because of the difficulty in targeting just the cancerous tissue.

According to MIT, cancer affects about 7 million people a year worldwide, and that number is projected to jump to 15 million by 2020. Most of those patients are treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation and 99% of those drugs typically don't reach the tumor, said von Maltzahn.

He added that their work with the gold nanorods is the "most efficient method" in targeting tumors yet developed.

The nanoparticles work in this cancer treatment by absorbing light at near-infrared frequency. The light heats the rods but passes harmlessly through human tissue, said von Maltzahn. The nanoparticles accumulate in the tumors, and within three days, the liver and spleen clear any that don't reach the tumor.

The mice that were treated in the MIT study received an injection of the gold nanorods along with near-infrared laser treatment. With this combination therapy, the tumors disappeared and did not return in the duration of the scientists' research.

Source

An invention that could change the internet for ever

Revolutionary new web software could put giants such as Google in the shade when it comes out later this month. Andrew Johnson reports

Sunday, 3 May 2009

The biggest internet revolution for a generation will be unveiled this month with the launch of software that will understand questions and give specific, tailored answers in a way that the web has never managed before.

The new system, Wolfram Alpha, showcased at Harvard University in the US last week, takes the first step towards what many consider to be the internet's Holy Grail – a global store of information that understands and responds to ordinary language in the same way a person does.

Although the system is still new, it has already produced massive interest and excitement among technology pundits and internet watchers.

Computer experts believe the new search engine will be an evolutionary leap in the development of the internet. Nova Spivack, an internet and computer expert, said that Wolfram Alpha could prove just as important as Google. "It is really impressive and significant," he wrote. "In fact it may be as important for the web (and the world) as Google, but for a different purpose.

Tom Simpson, of the blog Convergenceofeverything.com, said: "What are the wider implications exactly? A new paradigm for using computers and the web? Probably. Emerging artificial intelligence and a step towards a self-organising internet? Possibly... I think this could be big."

Wolfram Alpha will not only give a straight answer to questions such as "how high is Mount Everest?", but it will also produce a neat page of related information – all properly sourced – such as geographical location and nearby towns, and other mountains, complete with graphs and charts.

The real innovation, however, is in its ability to work things out "on the fly", according to its British inventor, Dr Stephen Wolfram. If you ask it to compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, it will tell you. Or ask what the weather was like in London on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated, it will cross-check and provide the answer. Ask it about D sharp major, it will play the scale. Type in "10 flips for four heads" and it will guess that you need to know the probability of coin-tossing. If you want to know when the next solar eclipse over Chicago is, or the exact current location of the International Space Station, it can work it out.

Dr Wolfram, an award-winning physicist who is based in America, added that the information is "curated", meaning it is assessed first by experts. This means that the weaknesses of sites such as Wikipedia, where doubts are cast on the information because anyone can contribute, are taken out. It is based on his best-selling Mathematica software, a standard tool for scientists, engineers and academics for crunching complex maths.

"I've wanted to make the knowledge we've accumulated in our civilisation computable," he said last week. "I was not sure it was possible. I'm a little surprised it worked out so well."

Dr Wolfram, 49, who was educated at Eton and had completed his PhD in particle physics by the time he was 20, added that the launch of Wolfram Alpha later this month would be just the beginning of the project.

"It will understand what you are talking about," he said. "We are just at the beginning. I think we've got a reasonable start on 90 per cent of the shelves in a typical reference library."

The engine, which will be free to use, works by drawing on the knowledge on the internet, as well as private databases. Dr Wolfram said he expected that about 1,000 people would be needed to keep its databases updated with the latest discoveries and information.

He also added that he would not go down the road of storing information on ordinary people, although he was aware that others might use the technology to do so.

Wolfram Alpha has been designed with professionals and academics in mind, so its grasp of popular culture is, at the moment, comparatively poor. The term "50 Cent" caused "absolute horror" in tests, for example, because it confused a discussion on currency with the American rap artist. For this reason alone it is unlikely to provide an immediate threat to Google, which is working on a similar type of search engine, a version of which it launched last week.

"We have a certain amount of popular culture information," Dr Wolfram said. "In some senses popular culture information is much more shallowly computable, so we can find out who's related to who and how tall people are. I fully expect we will have lots of popular culture information. There are linguistic horrors because if you put in books and music a lot of the names clash with other concepts."

He added that to help with that Wolfram Alpha would be using Wikipedia's popularity index to decide what users were likely to be interested in.

With Google now one of the world's top brands, worth $100bn, Wolfram Alpha has the potential to become one of the biggest names on the planet.

Dr Wolfram, however, did not rule out working with Google in the future, as well as Wikipedia. "We're working to partner with all possible organisations that make sense," he said. "Search, narrative, news are complementary to what we have. Hopefully there will be some great synergies."

What the experts say

"For those of us tired of hundreds of pages of results that do not really have a lot to do with what we are trying to find out, Wolfram Alpha may be what we have been waiting for."

Michael W Jones, Tech.blorge.com

"If it is not gobbled up by one of the industry superpowers, his company may well grow to become one of them in a small number of years, with most of us setting our default browser to be Wolfram Alpha."

Doug Lenat, Semanticuniverse.com

"It's like plugging into an electric brain."

Matt Marshall, Venturebeat.com

"This is like a Holy Grail... the ability to look inside data sources that can't easily be crawled and provide answers from them."

Danny Sullivan, editor-in-chief of searchengineland.com

Worldwide network: A brief history of the internet

1969 The internet is created by the US Department of Defense with the networking of computers at UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute.

1979 The British Post Office uses the technology to create the first international computer networks.

1980 Bill Gates's deal to put a Microsoft Operating System on IBM's computers paves the way for almost universal computer ownership.

1984 Apple launches the first successful 'modern' computer interface using graphics to represent files and folders, drop-down menus and, crucially, mouse control.

1989 Tim Berners-Lee creates the world wide web – using browsers, pages and links to make communication on the internet simple.

1996 Google begins as a research project at Stanford University. The company is formally founded two years later by Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

2009 Dr Stephen Wolfram launches Wolfram Alpha.

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