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Nano capsule developed to fight cancer
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean scientists said Monday that they have developed a nano capsule that can be used to simultaneously diagnose and treat cancer.
The team, led by Seoul National University Professor Hyeon Taeg-hwan, said they used a new "wrap-bake-peel" process to create a hollow capsule which is expected to help treat the deadly disease and open wider applications for nano materials.
Nano materials possess excellent characteristics, but they are very difficult to manipulate and manufacture, with many of their properties being destroyed if heat is applied. Heat treatment is widely used to change the properties of the materials so they can be put to better use.
The findings, released in the latest Internet edition of Nature Materials journal, said silica was applied over the surface of the akagenite nano particles, which were then subjected to heat reaching 500 degrees Celsius. The silica-covered outer layer was peeled away after the heat treatment, leaving behind the original akagenite nano particles that were transformed into oxidized steel with a hollow interior.
The oxidized steel nano capsule can be filled with anti-cancer agents, with the outer layer being coated with chemicals used in magnetic resonance imaging, said the 43-year-old chemical engineering professor.
"This combination can allow the capsule to find and treat cancer at the same time," Hyeon said.
The scientists, meanwhile said the "wrap-bake-peel" method can be further used in other fields, such as next-generation magnetic data storage devices.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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