17-year old Creates the "Swiss Army Knife" of Cancer Treatment Nanoparticles

Angela Zhang, a 17-year old high school student in Cupertino, CA, has developed a dual-purpose nanoparticle that can be used target and treat cancer more effectively.

Zhang developed the nanoparticle over the course of three years with the help of Dr. Zhen Cheng of Stanford University. Her efforts won her the Grand Prize in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology on Thursday, along with a check for $100,000.

Angela Zhang holding up her prize. Courtesy Siemens.

The gold and iron oxide-based nanoparticle Angela developed is an important development, for one, because of its dual purpose in treatment and imaging of the tumor. The nanoparticle releases a drug called salinomycin, a highly toxic drug that has been shown to kill stem cancer cells 100 times more effectively than another popular anti-cancer drug in rats. In addition to treatment, the gold and iron oxide in the nanoparticle aid in the non-invasive imaging of tumors.

Because the nanoparticle can be tightly controlled, it can be used by doctors to target cancerous tumors without affecting the rest of the body. Dr. Tejal Desai, a judge in the competition, says that the nanoparticle will lead to new target-specific treatment technologies.

Details of the nanoparticle and how it works are not yet available, other than that it is injected near the site of the tumor. The title of the entry gives more information: "Design of Image-guided, Photo-thermal Controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells - Biochemistry." In any case, Zhang's work represents an important step in the progression of cancer treatment research.

Source: http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=23920