This week in Nano: Week 4(Jan 19th- Jan 25th)

This week sees a publication (AdvancedMaterials) of a paper reporting a nanoparticle designed by researchers from University at Buffalo that can be detected by six medical imaging techniques! Yes you heard right. That is 6. Termed hypermodal imaging or hexamodal imaging the particle can be detected by:

1-Computed tomography (CT) scanning

2- Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning

3- Photoacoustic imaging

4- Upconversion imaging

5- Fluorescence imaging

6- Cerenkov luminescence imaging 

With no instrument currently available that can actually measure these 6 things at once and with waiting lists for a regular CT scan at my local hospital being 1 year I hope never to have my doctor mention this diagnostic technique. Of course I do hope it will spur on the invention of new diagnostic tools. 

Nanomaterials as anti cancer drugs. A study reported in ACS nano from Radboud University has shown a nonmaterial loaded with a sialic acid-blocking glycomimetic successfully prevents cancer metastasis in mice. In other words packing nanomaterials with this drug targeted to cancer cells and injecting them into mice in a lab study has been successful for preventing the spread of cancer in the mice.

They may not be nanosized but this week’s story on micromotors cant be left out! I have just tweeted a moving image of the micromotors in action from ACS nano (RT from compound Interest). Researchers have demonstrated a simple micromotor (zinc based)  that can propel itself inside the body of a mouse. When introduced into a mouse’s stomach, the micromotor moves to the stomach lining,  the body of the motors gradually dissolves in the gastric acid, autonomously releasing their cargo. Sounds like science fiction - but it is science fact. Read all about it here.