Research to target cancer weakness

Doctors have been raising increasing concerns that higher rates of the most deadly cancers, such as colorectal and breast cancer, are linked to obesity or high fat diets because cancer cells use fat to grow larger and more dangerous.

The cells are able to absorb fat by producing large amounts of structures on their surfaces called receptors, which allow chemicals to bind with the cell.

Now, following a grant from the charity Yorkshire Cancer Research, scientists from Sheffield University plan harness the latest advances to develop new approaches to target the cancer cells by producing smart nanoparticles which are taken up by two of the main receptors.

These nanoparticles can then be used to carry therapies directly to the cancer cells, without affecting healthy cells.

Irene Canton, of the university’s Department of Biomedical Science, said much hope in cancer research was being invested in molecular biology and biotechnology.

But their use was heavily restricted by the lack of a “magic-bullet” therapy that can overcome problems including drug stability and targeting cancer cells.

“We have very strong reasons to believe that nanotechnology can help here,” she said.

“These nanoparticles could be the necessary ‘magic-bullets’ to save many lives affected by the worst types of cancers. Our proposal takes a step closer to patient-tailored strategies allowing the delivery of therapeutic bio-molecules and restricting side effects of existing drugs.”