MU cancer research gets $3M grant
By Suvro Banerji, Reporter.
Posted October 25, 2005.
MU researchers received $3 million from the National Institute of Health to apply nanotechnology to the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer.
Dr. Kattesh Katti, professor of radiology and physics, said the processes derived from this research could help doctors detect cancerous cells earlier.
Millions of nanoparticles would be programmed to target cancerous cells in the prostate. When the particles detect the early tumor, doctors would use an X-ray to see it.
“Size of a nanoparticle is quite similar to the size of a cell,” Katti said. “They have certain properties similar as well, which makes this technology possible.”
The research is the first of its kind at MU and involves researchers from the School of Medicine, the School of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Science.
“Our team consists of chemists, physicists, veterinarians, medical physicists, engineers, radiochemists, neutron activation analysis experts and theoretical modeling experts,” Katti said.
MU recently opened a Nanoparticle Production Core Facility. The facility produces gold and silver nanoparticles in five to 10 minutes, 240 times faster than the previous method.
“We have loads of expectations for this research,” Katti said. “This research is going to act as a major catalyst not only to attract grants for further research, but also to expand the scope of nanoscience and nanotechnology to build new products.”
Source: maneater |
