Light-activated nanoparticles could fight brain cancer

Researchers have developed light-activated nanoparticles that could help surgeons see and remove glioblastoma—the deadliest form of brain cancer—with greater precision and destroy remaining cancer cells after surgery.

Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia, Harvard University in the United States, and Henan University in China have developed a ‘dual-attack’ nanozyme platform designed to address both problems with a single tool in the form of smart nanoparticles, according to a UTS statement released on Thursday.

‘This is an important step in efforts to reduce recurrence, which remains one of the greatest challenges for glioblastoma patients,’ said Shi Bingyang, chair professor of nanomedicine at UTS. He described the platform as ‘a precision guide for surgeons during surgery, and then as a targeted post-operative clean-up treatment.’

Glioblastoma is difficult to treat because tumour cells infiltrate the surrounding brain tissue, making complete surgical removal difficult without damaging healthy tissue. The disease is also resistant to treatment because the blood-brain barrier limits the delivery of many types of drugs and radiotherapy, the researchers explained. They added that the five-year survival rate is only around 7 per cent.

The nanozyme platform uses atomically engineered ultrathin sheets to enable tumour imaging during surgery as well as post-operative phototherapy using the same near-infrared light, according to the research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

During surgery, a fluorescent dye allows surgeons to identify tumour cell clusters as small as 44 micrometres, while a targeting molecule helps the nanoparticles cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in glioma cells, Shi said, adding that after surgery, the same nanoparticles are reactivated to destroy remaining cancer cells.

Following successful testing in mouse models, he said further research will be needed to confirm the imaging and therapeutic performance in human brains.