Nanoparticles could make cancer radiotherapy gentler and more effective

Metal oxide nanoparticles could make cancer radiotherapy treatments much gentler on the body and at the same time make them significantly more effective. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) have now succeeded in augmenting somatic cells with non-toxic metal oxides. This increases the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy. As a result, a significantly lower radiation dose is sufficient to render the cells harmless. Moreover, even previously particularly radiation-resistant malignant tumor cells can be killed off using this method, further details of which can be found in a press release.

These findings have now been published in the journal Chemistry of Materials. A team of researchers headed up by Lukas Gerken and Inge Herrmann from the Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory at Empa in St.Gallen and the Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Laboratory of ETH Zürich are advancing investigations in this area together with oncologists from the Cantonal Hospital in St. Gallen.

Empa researcher Lukas Gerken also succeeded in using flame synthesis to produce such nanoparticles, referred to as radiosensitizers, in large quantities. Upon closer examination, and in comparison with nanogold and other metal oxides, hafnium dioxide was found to be particularly effective. In this instance, half a billion nanoparticles found their way into every single cell without being toxic. Cells treated with hafnium could be eliminated with less than half the radiation dose.

Lukas Gerken is optimistic about the prospects of this method: “We will continue on this path to explore the nanoparticles' mechanism of action and further optimize their efficiency”, he comments in the press release.