Researchers at Washington University are evaluating the use of tiny bursts of bee venom for the treatment of certain types of cancer, using a novel delivery system that leaves non-cancerous cells unharmed.
The delivery system uses nanotechnology, a scientific field that relies on the interactions between cellular and molecular components and engineered materials. It has hundreds of applications, from clothing manufacture to the space industry, and is being studied as a novel method of administering drugs and other biological agents that can prevent, control, or eliminate certain diseases. Cancer researchers have a special interest in the technology, which are being studied as a means to deliver chemotherapeutic agents to tumors.
University of Washington researchers are studying the effects of melittin, a toxin found in bee venom, on tumors in mice. While direct delivery of melittin would cause the indiscriminate death of blood and tissue cells, the nanoparticles – called “nanobees” for the type of venom they carry – affect only the targeted tumor cells, leaving other cells untouched.
Nanotechnology is being embraced by cancer researchers and others as a way to customize a patient’s therapy, and has far-reaching implications for the treatment of many diseases. The technology is being studied for the treatment of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and clinical trials examining the use of the technology in treating prostate cancer are expected to begin later this year.
Cancer researchers hope the technology can prove effective in the fight against pervasive cancers such as mesothelioma, which affects thousands of men and women each year. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the mesothelium, the sac-like membrane that surrounds the body’s internal organs.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure – either direct or indirect – to asbestos particles. Asbestos has been used extensively in building materials, including insulation and heating and ventilation components, as well as in the manufacturing, shipbuilding and auto industries. Although the manufacture of asbestos-based products was banned in the U.S. in the 1980s, imports of the products continue, and buildings constructed prior to the mid-1980s are prime sources of asbestos-contaminated materials. Renovation and restoration work of residential and commercial structures puts homeowners and workers at risk for exposure each year. Military workers – especially those involved in the shipbuilding industry prior to the 1980s – are at special risk for developing the condition. Family members are also at increased risk, as tiny asbestos particles were easily carried home on workers’ clothing. Once released into the air, the lightweight particles can travel significant distances, and are easily inhaled or ingested.
The components used in nanotechnology are tiny, usually between 1 nm and 100 nm; a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. Nano particles can be “programmed” to attack only malignant cells, leaving normal tissue untouched by chemotherapy agents. They can also be customized to treat an individual’s specific condition, allowing for an unprecedented, targeted delivery of medication. Clinicians can even time these tiny particles to release specific drugs in sequence, optimizing the delivery of cancer-fighting agents. Their tiny size allows for targeted administration of drugs in areas of the body which have proven difficult to access successfully with traditional chemotherapy and radiation.
Nanotoechnology is also being studied as an imaging device, allowing clinicians to identify and diagnose malignant mesothelioma and other cancers in their earliest – and most treatable – stages.
To promote nanotechnology research in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established several Centers of Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) across the country, to serve as hubs of the National Cancer Institute Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer.
Currently, there is no cure for mesothelioma, and symptoms such as persistent cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath can take decades to appear. Mesothelioma treatment relies on strategies aimed at reducing discomfort and prolonging survival.
