Narayana Health Care
  • Cardiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Oncology
  • Book An Appointment
    • Video Consultation
    • Physical Consultation
Narayana Health Care
  • Cardiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Oncology
  • Book An Appointment
    • Video Consultation
    • Physical Consultation
Home > Blog > Cancer > Nanodiamonds: A Cancer Patient’s Best Friend?
Cancer

Nanodiamonds: A Cancer Patient’s Best Friend?

by Narayana Health October 29, 2013
written by Narayana Health October 29, 2013
Nanodiamonds: A Cancer Patient’s Best Friend?
Real-time monitoring of cancer cell processes could soon be possible thanks to nanometric scale diamonds used as biosensors.

img source : rsc.org

Diamonds are sometimes considered as a girl’s best friend. Now, this expression is about to have a new meaning. Indeed, nanometric scale diamond particles could offer a new way to detect cancer far earlier than previously thought. This is precisely the objective of a research project called Dinamo, funded by the EU. Specifically, it aims to develop a non-invasive nanotechnology sensing platform for real-time monitoring of biomolecular processes in living cancer cells.

To do so, they developed a new technique, based on the use of fluorescent nanodiamond particles (NDPs). “We demonstrated that the specific combination of NDP-properties make them a highly suitable material for the construction of probes capable of sensing biomolecules ranging from proteins to DNA,” says team coordinator Milos Nesladek, who is also principle scientist at the Institute for Material Research, Imec, based in Leuven, Belgium, “such probes could be used to study molecular processes in cells at nanoscale.”

The trouble is that previous solutions did not allow monitoring processes within living cells for any extended period of time. “Our key challenge was to replace fluorescent bimolecular dyes that are currently used as luminescence markers in cancer cell research,” explains Nesladek.

NDPs present several advantages. They are highly biocompatible. They can remain for prolonged periods inside cells without influencing any cellular mechanisms. Furthermore, they can be engineered to obtain a range of optic, magnetic and surface properties. “The small size of NDPs enables them to penetrate individual cell membranes in a non-invasive way, which causes no damage to the cell and without any disruption of normal cellular functions,” Nesladek tells CommNet. “The luminescence and the magnetic properties change depending on the NDP’s interaction with the cellular environment,” he adds.

The surface properties of NDPs are such that it is possible to attach specific biomolecules to them, such as primary DNA molecules. Delivered precisely to the target cell, these biomolecules can measure, monitor or alter biological components within the cell. The NDPs can thus become not only a tool to monitor and detect pre-cancerous changes, but also to rectify them. Further developments are going on in subsequent EU-projects such as DIAMANT.

Some experts welcome this approach. “Development of new drug delivery carriers is crucial for treatment of numerous deceases, including cancer,” comments Fedor Jelezko, director of the Institute of Quantum Optics at Ulm University in Germany. “The novelty of approach in [the project] is the use of innovative material to transport drugs,” he tells CommNet. Nanodiamond provides unique opportunities for drug carrier design since they can be imaged optically using fluorescence microscopy technique. “This allows monitoring of drug delivery and release of drugs in the cells with unprecedented details,” he adds. This monitoring has already been demonstrated by teams of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Cachan and Gustave Roussy Cancer Institute in Paris, France.
Other experts are more cautious. “Although there have been numerous convincing experiments showing that nanodiamonds can carry active anti-cancer drugs in culture cells and even in mice, it is very unlikely that it will be ever used in humans, mostly because diamond is so inert that it cannot be degraded and therefore cannot be easily eliminated by the body,” comments François Treussart, physics professor at the ENS.

However, he seems a bright future for the technology. “Far beyond the [project] goals, nanodiamond future in medical applications is more as a diagnostic device in personal medicine or as a monitoring tool for example to track stem cell engraftment in regenerative medicine, as recently demonstrated by the biomedical applications of fluorescent ND-team at the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Science, at the Academia Sinica inTaiwan,” he concludes.

A NDP-probe, placed in a target cell, should be able to detect and relay information about the processes taking place in this cell. “The Dinamo project has been finished, but the partners still are collaborating,” Nesladek tells. “The University of Stuttgart in Germany is developing a NDP-probe. “Dinamo has focused on the context of breast cancer and colorectal cancer, but there is no reason why the technique could not be applied to a wide range of other cancers,” he tells CommNet. He concludes that another future aim is to explore the possibility of using NDP probes to detect cancer stem cells.

Source: Science Daily

Devices for Cancer CareDNAENSGermanyNDPReal time Monitoring of Cancer
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp
previous post
Are you at Risk Of Stroke? Factors you can & can`t control.
next post
Quality, Affordability and Scale in Healthcare : Lessons from Narayana Health.

You may also like

Types of Pancreatic Cancer: All You Need to...

February 15, 2021

Pancreatic Cancer: What Are the Probable Causes?

February 12, 2021

Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer

February 9, 2021

How Is Lung Cancer Diagnosed and Treated?

February 5, 2021

Prevention is better than Cure: Cancer

July 30, 2020

Prostate Cancer FAQ During COVID-19

July 22, 2020

Types of Lung Cancer: All You Need to...

July 17, 2020

Cervix Pain: What Could Be the Cause?

July 6, 2020

Lung Cancer: What Are the Early Signs?

May 29, 2020

Diet and Cancer: What role does food play?

May 5, 2020
1 2 3 … 191

About NH

Narayana Health

Narayana Health is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and operates a network of hospitals across the country, with a particularly strong presence in the southern state of Karnataka and eastern India, as well as an emerging presence in northern, western and central India. Our first facility was established in Bengaluru with approximately 225 operational beds and we have since grown to 23 hospitals, 7 heart centres, 19 primary care facilities across India and an international hospital in the Cayman Islands.

Keep In Touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube Telegram

Tell us your Medical Query

[recaptcha]


Popular Posts

  • 1

    Coronavirus Testing – How to Test for Coronavirus? – Different Types of...

    March 13, 2020
  • 2

    Boosting your Immune System against Coronavirus: How to minimize the risk of infection?

    April 2, 2020
  • 3

    Know about proper usage, disposal and reuse of mask

    April 6, 2020
  • 4

    How to maintain a Balanced Diet

    September 3, 2019

Categories

  • Aids (3)
  • Blood Pressure (4)
  • Bone marrow transplant (10)
  • Breast Cancer (29)
  • Cancer (32)
  • Cardiac Surgery (25)
  • Cardiology (118)
  • Coronavirus (94)
  • Dental Sciences (1)
  • Dermatology (8)
  • Diabetes (33)
  • E. N. T – Paediatric (5)
  • E. N. T. (3)
  • ECMO (1)
  • Endocrinology (5)
  • Gastroenterology (22)
  • General Health (33)
  • General Surgery (3)
  • Gynaecology (24)
  • Haematology (4)
  • Healthy Life (1)
  • heart (4)
  • Hepatology (12)
  • Infectious Diseases (2)
  • Kidney (5)
  • Liver (26)
  • medical oncology (1)
  • Mental Health (2)
  • Narayanahealth (224)
  • Nephrology (22)
  • Neurology (78)
  • Neurosurgery (24)
  • News (10)
  • NH services (6)
  • Nutrition and diet (13)
  • Oncology (71)
  • Organ Donation (1)
  • Orthopaedics (67)
  • Paediatric Cardiology (9)
  • Paediatric Surgery (4)
  • Paediatrics (54)
  • Pain & Palliative Care (3)
  • Pregancy (3)
  • Psychology (3)
  • Pulmonology (16)
  • Radiation Oncology (3)
  • Rheumatology (3)
  • Services (6)
  • Spine Surgery (19)
  • Stroke (4)
  • Swine Flu (1)
  • Transplant (1)
  • Urology (25)
  • Vascular Surgery (10)

Follow us

QUICK LINKS

Find a Doctor

Book an Appointment

Make an Enquiry

Feedback

Hospitals

Blogs

Privilege card

Heart Rhythm Disorder

NH CARES

Hernia

Lung Cancer

Brain Tumour

Liver Cancer

Heart Attack

Urinary Problems

Heart Transplant

Kidney Transplant

Bone Marrow Transplant

Pulmonary Hypertension

CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery

Cardiology

Cardiac Surgery

Neurology

Neurosurgery

Orthopaedics

Robotic Surgery

Vascular Surgery

Nephrology

Radiation Oncology

MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

Academics

Clinical Research

NH Colleges

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

About Narayana Health

|

Stakeholder Relations

|

News & Media Relations

|

Awards and Accreditations

|

Leadership

|

Careers

|

CSR

|

Sitemap

© Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd | All rights reserved
NPPA Implant Pricing     Terms & Conditions     Privacy Policy     Disclaimer

Book Online Consultation