University of Texas researchers have moved a step closer to treating melanomas using hollow gold nanospheres and near-infrared light. The work, carried out at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center utilizes hollow gold nanospheres of 40-50nm diameter which are targeted to melanoma tumours with a peptide that binds to the melanocortin type 1 receptor expressed in melanomas. Once bound to the cancer cells, the tumours, in a mouse model, were then destroyed by thermal photoablation by near-infrared light.

The approach differs from earlier attempts using photothermal ablation in that the absorption of light by the hollow gold nanoparticles allows much greater efficiency in heating and destroying the cancer cells, some 12% of the dose required without the nanoparticles, which leads to less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. In addition, the active targeting of the gold nanoparticles means a far greater proportion bind to the cancerous cells as opposed to purely “passive” targeting through the leaky tumour vasculature.

Glucose labelling also allows the active monitoring of the tumours and the efficacy of the treatment using positron emission tomography (PET). The researchers, led by Prof. Chun Li, also hope that the new findings will be a proof in principle that other types of cancer could be targeted using peptide-linked gold nanoparticles.

News source: PhysOrg.com