Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Scientists at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed a light-based nanotechnology that could make cancer treatment far more precise and much less punishing than chemotherapy or radiation.
The new approach builds on photothermal therapy – a technique that uses light to generate heat inside tumours.
By combining near-infrared light with biocompatible, tumour-targeting nanoparticles, the researchers say they can selectively destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
The work is being led by Mazin Magzoub, Associate Professor of Biology at NYUAD, and is currently at the preclinical stage.
The technology relies on ultra-small nanoparticles made from hydroxyapatite; a mineral that makes up most of the mass of human bones and teeth, he told Aletihad in an interview.
These particles are biodegradable and break down into calcium and phosphate ions, which the body can safely reuse.
Each nanoparticle carries a photothermal agent: a dye that converts light into heat.
"The nanoparticles are engineered to circulate safely in the bloodstream, accumulate in tumours, and avoid healthy tissue," Magzoub explained. "Once they're inside cancer cells, we apply a focused near-infrared laser. The particles heat up, and that heat kills the cancer cells from within."
Because the laser is directed only at the tumour, damage to nearby tissue is minimised.
In this targeted approach, near-infrared light makes the difference, according to Magzoub.
Unlike visible light, it experiences less absorption and scattering as it passes through skin, fat and blood.
This allows doctors to reach tumours located deep in the body while reducing collateral damage, he noted.
Human tissue also produces very little background fluorescence in the near-infrared range, Magzoub added, making tumours easier to detect and monitor in real time.
This opens the door to image-guided therapy, where doctors can see exactly where treatment is working as it happens.
While photothermal therapy itself is not new, Magzoub said earlier versions have faced major limitations.
Many photothermal agents are unstable, poorly soluble, or fail to accumulate in tumours.
In fact, less than 1% of many nanoparticle systems typically reach cancerous tissue, according to Magzoub.
The NYUAD team says its tumour-targeting design overcomes these hurdles.
Rather than replacing existing cancer treatments, Magzoub said this new technology could enhance them.
Conventional chemotherapy circulates throughout the body, attacking healthy cells along with cancerous ones.
Radiation therapy, while more targeted, can still injure nearby organs and tissues, sometimes with lasting consequences.
Magzoub said the nanoparticles can be co-loaded with chemotherapy drugs, delivering them directly to tumors while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue.
When activated by near-infrared light, heat not only kills cancer cells but also triggers the release of the chemotherapy drug, allowing for a one-two punch of localised heat and targeted medication.
According to Magzoub, the nanoparticles are specifically engineered to respond to the acidic microenvironment of solid tumours, ensuring they preferentially accumulate where they're needed most.
This acidity is a common feature of many aggressive cancers, meaning the approach could be applied across a wide range of tumour types, he noted.
The research is currently being tested in laboratory cell lines and animal models.
Further pharmacological and toxicological studies will be required before regulatory approval for human trials can be sought.
Still, Magzoub said the results so far justify optimism.
