據(jù)美國(guó)《大眾科學(xué)》雜志報(bào)道,，在癌癥轉(zhuǎn)移或擴(kuò)散到全身之前捕獲癌癥是一種增加癌癥患者生存率的方法,。如今科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種辦法,，即使在癌癥已經(jīng)轉(zhuǎn)移或擴(kuò)散時(shí)，仍舊可利用磁鐵粒子來俘獲癌細(xì)胞,，并將它們“拉”出體外,。美國(guó)喬治亞州工學(xué)院的研究人員通過研究表明，磁性納米粒子——微小的磁金屬粒子可以用于吸附癌細(xì)胞,，之后在其它磁鐵的作用下將它們移到體外,。
此研究成果發(fā)表在7月刊的《美國(guó)化學(xué)會(huì)志》（JACS）上。它描述了二項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn),，在第一項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)中,，研究人員將子宮癌細(xì)胞注入到老鼠體內(nèi),，在注入之前，科學(xué)家對(duì)此癌細(xì)胞進(jìn)行了染色,，并讓癌細(xì)胞只和與癌癥細(xì)胞而非常規(guī)細(xì)胞結(jié)合的蛋白質(zhì)所吸附,。在第二項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)中，研究人員輕輕按摩老鼠促使此癌細(xì)胞擴(kuò)散,，接著研究人員用將一塊磁鐵放在老鼠的腹部達(dá)30秒鐘,。增長(zhǎng)的癌細(xì)胞可以透過老鼠皮膚清晰可見，而此可見位置正好位于此磁鐵放置的地方,。
利用循環(huán)泵系統(tǒng),，研究人員還能展示磁鐵能將增長(zhǎng)的癌細(xì)胞拖拉到塑料管的一側(cè)，表明轉(zhuǎn)移的癌細(xì)胞可能已經(jīng)被移出了體外,，通過過濾,，就能消除任何磁化了的癌細(xì)胞。
此研究表明這一技術(shù)可以潛在地應(yīng)用于其它癌癥治療手段的輔助治療中,，如手術(shù)和化療,。但在實(shí)際應(yīng)用之前，還需進(jìn)行更多的研究來評(píng)估此技術(shù)的毒副作用,，之后還要進(jìn)行臨床實(shí)驗(yàn)來檢測(cè)此粒子有沒有副作用,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
JACS，doi：10.1021/ja801969b,，Kenneth E. Scarberry,，Z. John Zhang
Magnetic Nanoparticle−Peptide Conjugates for in Vitro and in Vivo Targeting and Extraction of Cancer Cells
Kenneth E. Scarberry,† Erin B. Dickerson,‡§ John F. McDonald,‡§ and Z. John Zhang*†
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biology, Ovarian Cancer Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332
Abstract:
Magnetic cobalt spinel ferrite nanoparticles coated with biocompatible polygalacturonic acid were functionalized with ligands specific for targeting expressed EphA2 receptors on ovarian cancer cells. By using such magnetic nanoparticle−peptide conjugates, targeting and extraction of malignant cells were achieved with a magnetic field. Targeting ovarian cancer cells with receptor specific peptide-modified magnetic nanoparticles resulted in cell capture from a flow stream in vitro and from the peritoneal cavity of mice in vivo. Successful removal of metastatic cancer cells from the abdominal cavity and circulation using magnetic nanoparticle conjugates indicate the feasibility of a dialysis-like treatment and may improve long-term survival rates of ovarian cancer patients. This approach can be applied for fighting other cancers, such as leukemia, once the receptors on malignant cells are identified and the efficacy of targeting ligands is established.
