Researchers in Sweden have succeeded in taking the next step toward using man-made nanoscale compounds in the fight against cancer. A recent proof-of-concept study showed that dendrimers – which were first introduced in the 1980s – may be used to introduce compounds that essentially trick cancer cells into performing self-destructive tasks.
Dendrimers – or cascade molecules – are organically synthesized large molecules that match nature’s peptides and proteins with respect to size and structure. Researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology took advantage of these qualities – and cancer cells’ appetite for adsorbing large molecules – by loading the material with an organic sulfur compound (OSC) which is also a key ingredient in amino acids, peptides and proteins.
