What is it about?
Light can kill cancer cells. The clinical usefulness of light was first recognized some 3,000 years ago when it was used to treat rickets, psoriasis, and other common ailments. Here we present a new drug that can be activated by light, specifically, by a laser source, which gives more accuracy and hence can selectively kill cancer cells. When activated (by light) the drug decompose and releases acid ions (protons). This lowers the pH of the cell which causes it to commit suicide.
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Why is it important?
Because cancer affect each and every one of us.
Perspectives
I think this work is worth pursuing. Anchor this drug to a targeting protein and you get targeted delivery of the drug to the cells affected, hence more selectivity. Conjugate the drug to fluorescent dye to help surgeons locate the drug and hence selectively activate it.
Dr Ebrahim H Ghazvini Zadeh
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Pegylated and nanoparticle-conjugated sulfonium salt photo triggers necrotic cell death, International Journal of Nanomedicine, November 2016, Dove Medical Press,
DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s113292.
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