Nano Nano

A couple of interesting recent articles on nanotechnology and cancer. Nanotechnology describes a very broad group of approaches to cancer treatment that involve tiny, tiny particles that can be manipulated to treat cancer by more easily targeting cancer cells specifically while avoiding healthy cells.

One article focuses on carbon nanotubes. It describes research by some folks at Yale (hey! just down the street!) who have discovered that carbon nanotubes can stimulate the body's natural defenses to attack cancer cells. Researchers can remove T cells (immune cells that should be able to attack cencer cells, but usually get fooled by them) from the body and increase their numbers more effectively in a lab than they would be produced naturally in the body. The carbon nanotubes somehow help increase production. The T cells can then be put back into the body and their numbers will overwhelm the tumor. Or so it is hoped.

There's another article that I can't get to link. It's from the Northeastern University alumni magazine, and it describes nanotech in general. Appartently, NU has a great nanotechnology program. Can't let those Yalies get all the love -- gotta give some to my old school. I'll work on getting the link.