Antibodies from the desert as guides to diseased cells

With help of proteins, nanoparticles can be produced, which bind specifically to cancer cells, thus making it possible to detect tumours. Credit: CBNI, UCD

Nanoparticles are considered a promising approach in detecting and fighting tumour cells. The method has, however, often failed because the human immune system recognizes and rejects them before they can fulfil their function. Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and at University College Dublin have developed nanoparticles that bypass the body’s defence system and find the diseased cells. This procedure uses fragments from an antibody that only occurs in camels and llamas.

The use of nanoparticles in cancer research is considered as a promising approach in detecting and fighting tumour cells. The method has, however, often failed because the human immune system recognizes the particles as foreign objects and rejects them before they can fulfil their function. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and at University College…