Carbon nanotubes give cancer drugs a boost

05-Mar-2013 - India

Carbon-based nanomaterials have been found to enhance the ability of the anti-cancer drug Paclitaxel to treat of lung cancer.

Both graphene oxide and single-walled carbon nanotubes were found to enhance cancer-cell death in lung-cancer cells when combined with the Paclitaxel, indicating a synergistic effect that has been identified as reactive-oxygen species dependent.

Combination therapies, where more than one therapeutic agent is used to treat a cancer, were first developed to tackle heterogeneity in tumours – that is the presence of more than one type of cell. Typically this involves combinations of different drugs, but the use of carbon-based nanomaterials instead could lower the side effects experienced by patients, while still offering enhanced treatment effects.

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