Tissue Engineering And Nanotheranostics

(Steven Felgate) #1
b2815 Tissue Engineering and Nanotheranostics “9.61x6.69”

218 Tissue Engineering and Nanotheranostics


(5) Cancer cells reportedly have a greater EM field than adjoining


normal tissue.4–7 Cuzick et al. (1998) discovered an increased


EM field about breast tumors that can be measured at the


surface.^8


(6) It is believed the chromosomes align themselves with the electric


field of its cell.^40


(7) EM fields are also believed to play an important role in blood


vessel growth.41–42


5. Bio-nano Technology


Despite the many years of studying nanoparticles and various nano­


technology applications, much remains to be discovered and under­


stood before widespread beneficial bioapplications are realized.


Nevertheless, great strides have been made and are continuing to be


made in the use of nanoparticles to treat illness with the ultimate goal


of treating malignant tumors.


A nanoparticle is defined by size: That is a particle is a nanoparticle


(NP) if 2 :


1 nm ≤ NP ≤ 100 nm, (1)


where nm refers to nanometer or 10–9 m.


With such minute sizes, nanoparticles can easily penetrate cell


membranes.^43 But in spite of their small size, nanoparticles can be


composed of powerful toxins which can be released into cancer cells.^11


If a cancer cell has a penetrating nanoparticle (i.e. magnetic) the


particle can be made to vibrate and thus destroy the cancer cell. That


is, movement and behavior of a magnetic nanoparticle within a cell


can be controlled externally.


To date, therapeutic nanoparticles have primarily been administered


by injection into the blood stream — much like chemotherapy. But


unlike toxic chemicals nanoparticles can retain their toxicity until they


reach a destination — that is, a tumor. The toxin can then be released


via external stimulation.^45 Moreover, magnetic nanoparticles can be


pulled through the blood vessels to the tumor by external magnets.^45

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