Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Highlight
  • Published:

New technology

Nanotechnology targets cancer cells

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 10, page 667 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

All the biological processes in our body, including events that lead to cancer, occur at the nanoscale. Two recent studies published in Nature Nanotechnology have highlighted the potential of nanomaterials in providing new and more-effective tools to target cancer cells, with the aim of improving diagnosis and treatment.

In the first study, David Scheinberg and colleagues reported a two-step approach: cancer cells are first bound by an antibody conjugated with an oligonucleotide sequence and then this 'antibody/cancer cell complex' is targeted by single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) labelled with a complementary oligonucleotide sequence. The SWNTs can deliver a cytotoxic alpha particle-emitting isotope that kills the tumour cell. Scheinberg highlights the potential of this approach: “SWNTs offer the possibility of carrying many ligands (hundreds per molecule) and are rapidly cleared through the kidney,” with little toxic effect. This approach resulted in tumour shrinkage in mice, and “provided a proof of concept for in vivo self-assembly of other ligands on SWNT”. In the future, SWNT could be used to deliver RNA inhibitors to tumours to 'silence' genes involved in tumorigenesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Mulvey, J. J. et al. Self-assembly of carbon nanotubes and antibodies on tumours for targeted amplified delivery. Nat. Nanotechnol. 10.1038/nnano.2013.190

  2. Yoon, H. J. et al. Sensitive capture of circulating tumour cells by functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets. Nat. Nanotechnol. 10.1038/nnano.2013.194

Download references

Authors
  1. Alessia Errico
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Errico, A. Nanotechnology targets cancer cells. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 10, 667 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.186

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.186

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Cancer

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Cancer newsletter — what matters in cancer research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get what matters in cancer research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Cancer