Scientists May Have Found a Way To Stop Cancer From Metastasizing
Scientists May Have Found a Way To Stop Cancer From Metastasizing
Cancer is one of the leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries. In most of the patients, cancer itself leads to death and in few cases, metastasis or the spread of cancer cells leads to death. Here the question arises if spreading of cancer or metastasis is curtailed, does it improve probabilities of life??
The answer is, of course, is a YES!! When the cancer is treated either by surgery or by chemotherapy or by radiotherapy, the only factor that still endangers a person’s life is spread of cancer, when this is halted then definitely the life of a patient can be prolonged!!
Various studies were conducted to know if there is a way to stop the spread of cancer cells and finally the scientists have found a way!! Here is the way found by scientists to stop the spread –
Cancer cells move from one place to other with the help of leg-like structure called FILOPODIA and by LAMELLIPODIA. These structures are found in healthy cells as well whereas they are found in excess in cancer cells. The excess number results in an easy and rapid spread of cancer cells. Scientists used nanorods made of gold nanoparticles to obstruct these leg like structures!!
Nanotechnology helps to reduce the size of certain structures to nanoscale meaning billionth part of a meter. Nanorods had certain molecules which targeted specifically on Integrin component of a cell, thus reducing the overproduction of Filopodia and Lamellipodia!!! This, in turn, reduced the movement of cancer cells and thus spread of cancer cells!!
During Chemotherapy, cancer cells had no ability to absorb light wherein nanorods absorbed light and caused tangling of Filopodia and Lamellipodia. Even this helped in stopping the spread of cancer cells!!
These were the methods identified and proved by Scientists to stop the metastasizing or spreading of cancer cells, thus increasing the longevity of cancer patients!!!