Kamikaze Macrophages
Saratov scientists have created new technologies for the treatment of brain tumors
Saratov State University scientists have developed new optical technologies for the personal treatment of aggressive forms of glial brain tumors using gold nanoparticles, the regional Ministry of Industry and Energy reported on Thursday.
According to scientists, at the preparatory stage, blood is taken from a patient with an aggressive form of a brain tumor (glioma), macrophages are isolated from it, into which gold nanoparticles are loaded. Then, with the help of a laser, a photodynamic effect of 630-660 nanometers is performed, the blood-brain barrier opens (a system that does not allow toxic substances and microorganisms to pass from the blood to the brain), and macrophages with gold nanoparticles are delivered to the brain tumor for effective diagnosis of tumor boundaries due to the movement of macrophages into the tumor marginal zones.
"Effective personal treatment of a brain tumor is achieved by laser exposure of 800 nanometers to gold nanoparticles at the edges of the tumor, due to which the death of tumor cells is noted, which leads to a halt in their growth," the agency quotes the developers.
Scientists note that the new optical technology allows you to open a temporary "window" of the blood-brain barrier for an hour, and then the barrier function is restored.
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