Nanoshells appear to kill cancer at root

Houston invention may decrease stem cells that drive tumor growth

By TODD ACKERMAN
 HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Oct. 28, 2010

Heated gold nanoshells, the touted Houston invention now in cancer trials, appear to help kill diseased cells at a previously unreachable root level, according to new research.

In a mouse study published Wednesday, Houston researchers showed that the use of tiny gold-coated particles to deliver heat to breast cancer tumors already treated with radiation not only shrank the tumor but also dramatically decreased the population of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells self-renew and drive the growth of tumors.

"This is a study of extraordinary significance," said Dr. Wendy Woodward, a radiation oncologist at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center who participated in the research. "We have worked with every imaginable drug and genetic therapy to make cancer stem cells sensitive to radiation without success until this." the rest image