Cancer and Nanotechnology Overview

Cancer and Nanotechnology

• Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth, potentially invading and spreading to other body parts.
• Cancer can be benign (doesn't spread) or malignant (spreads).
• Cancer cells divide faster than healthy cells, forming tumors.
• Rapid growth causes them to take up more nutrients, like folic acid.
• Nanoparticles can target specific cancer cell markers or antigens.
• A carcinogen is an agent that causes cancer.
• Carcinogens include chemicals, diet/exercise, infection, radiation, heredity, and hormones.
• There are over 100 different cancers; the most common include breast, lung, stomach, liver, colorectal (cervix and prostate in men/women respectively).

Cancer Treatment

• Surgery can diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer.
• Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat cancer.
• Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles to destroy cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer.
• Targeted therapy uses drugs to precisely target and attack cancer cells.
• Stem cell transplant (peripheral, cord blood and bone marrow) is used to treat cancer.
• Hyperthermia uses heat to treat cancer.
• Blood product donation & transfusion.

Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment

• Nanotechnology offers advantages in cancer treatment, including:
  • Precise delivery of drugs to tumor sites
  • Reduced side effects on healthy cells
  • Increased drug effectiveness
• Disadvantages of traditional drug delivery systems include:
  • Drug resistance
  • Limited drug solubility
  • Serious chemotherapy side effects
  • Non-specific targeting
  • Inability to reach tumor core
• Different types of nanoparticles like polymeric micelles, dendrimers, silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, liposomes, nanoshells, inorganic nanoparticles

Mechanism of Targeting

• Passive targeting: drugs accumulate in leaky tumor vasculature (EPR effect).
• Active targeting: drugs bind to specific receptors on cancer cells, ensuring intracellular drug location.

Stages of Cancer

• Stage I: localized to one part of the body, usually curable.
• Stage II: locally advanced.
• Stage III: locally advanced
• Stage IV: spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

Types of Tumors

• Malignant tumors spread to other parts of the body.
• Benign tumors stay in one place.

Types of Nanoparticles Used in Cancer Treatments

• Nanopores
• Nanotubes
• Nanorobots
• Liposomes
• Nanoshells
• Quantum dots
• Dendrimers

Nanopore

• Nanopores are tiny holes that allow DNA to pass through one strand at a time, making DNA sequencing more efficient.
• Monitoring shape and electrical properties of each DNA base helps decipher genetic information, including errors associated with cancer.

Explore the intersection of cancer biology and nanotechnology in this quiz. Learn about types of cancer, treatment methods, and how nanoparticles can be utilized to target cancer cells. Test your knowledge of carcinogens, therapies, and the advancements in cancer treatment.