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Tiny injected magnets offer new cancer hope
Mark Prigg, Science Correspondent25 Apr 2008
London scientists today signalled a major breakthrough in cancer treatment.
Patients could soon be treated by tiny magnets injected into the body and activated by remote control.
The robotic particles will target diseased cells and destroy them using heat, leaving healthy cells unharmed.
The treatment could mean an end to invasive surgery as well as powerful chemotherapy drugs that can cause nausea and hair loss. It will bring hope to tens of thousands of people undergoing traditional treatments that can last months.
Scientists today told the Standard that trials of the technique will begin within two years. Leading nanotechnology expert Professor Quentin Pankhurst is pioneering the research at the Royal Institution's new £ 3.5million laboratory off Piccadilly.
He said it will be used to treat dozens of different types of cancer - with the first trials to target breast cancer.
"We are confident we are really cracking this. We are currently working with mice, and we have already built the powerful light that actually heats up the magnetic particles [which destroy diseased cells]," he said.
"If we can get these particles to migrate to cancer cells, we can apply the light therapy and kill only the cancer cells, leaving the healthy cells unharmed. This would be a big improvement on the aggressive chemotherapies and radiotherapies we currently have to deal with."
Several teams of scientists around the world are racing to be the first to perfect the technique. But the London researchers are the only ones to have built the crucial "light box" that activates the magnetic particles and are expected to be first to bring the technique to trials.
A team of 15 permanent scientists and about 35 visiting researchers will be based at the laboratory, and will also work on a range of cancer treatments.
Baroness Susan Greenfield, Director of the Royal Institution, said: "This exciting development is the latest chapter in the long and illustrious history of ground-breaking research here in Albemarle Street."
The new building is in the final stages of its £22 millionupgrade. It will be launched in an official ceremony attended by the Queen next month.
