“Diamonds are Forever” – using nanodiamonds for drug delivery may improve the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy
Nanotechnology is set to have a major impact on drug development and new products for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Research from UCSF and Northwestern University published earlier this year in “Science Translational Medicine” shows this potential.
Edward Chow and colleagues describe how binding the cancer chemotherapy doxorubicin (DOX) to carbon nanoparticles 2-8nm in diameter in the form of a diamond, “nanodiamond” (ND), improved drug efficacy and overcame drug resistance. Although this pre-clinical animal research has not yet been confirmed in humans, it raises the possibility of more efficient chemotherapies and the hope of increased survival rates as a result.