It has been reported the fact that experts managed to destroy 99% of cancer cells in the lab via vibrating molecules. Check out more details about this below.
Killing cancer
Scientists have discovered a novel way of destroying cancer cells by stimulating aminocyanine molecules with near-infrared light, causing them to vibrate in unison and break apart the membranes of cancer cells. Aminocyanine molecules are used in bioimaging as synthetic dyes.
They are commonly used in low doses to detect cancer and remain stable in water, making them very effective at attaching themselves to the outside of cells.
The research team from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas states that this new approach is a significant improvement over another type of cancer-killing molecular machine called Feringa-type motors, which also had the ability to break down the structures of problematic cells.
“It is a whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers,” says chemist James Tour from Rice University.
“They are more than one million times faster in their mechanical motion than the former Feringa-type motors, and they can be activated with near-infrared light rather than visible light.”
The use of near-infrared light is crucial because it permits scientists to penetrate deeper into the body.
This could be significant in the treatment of cancer growth in bones and organs without the need for surgery.
In experiments conducted on cultured cancer cells, the molecular jackhammer technique achieved a 99% success rate in destroying the cells.
The method was also tested on mice with melanoma tumors, and half of them were cured of cancer.
Aminocyanine molecules have a unique structure and chemical properties that allow them to synchronize with the appropriate stimulus, such as near-infrared light.
When these molecules are in motion, the electrons inside them form plasmons, which are vibrating entities that drive movement throughout the entire molecule.
“What needs to be highlighted is that we’ve discovered another explanation for how these molecules can work,” says chemist Ciceron Ayala-Orozco from Rice University.
“This is the first time a molecular plasmon is utilized in this way to excite the whole molecule and to actually produce mechanical action used to achieve a particular goal – in this case, tearing apart cancer cells’ membrane.”
