Every month, I’ll be highlighting breast cancer research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Hiding a breast cancer killer under something the cancer cells NEED…
In case you don’t remember your ancient history, here’s a brief lesson: The Trojan War between the Greeks and the independent city of Troy had lasted 10-years with the Greeks trying to pound down the walls of Troy. Someone go the idea of building a huge wooden horse then stuffing it with a strike team that included the famous warrior, Odysseus. The Greeks sailed away, and the Trojans figuring it was a sort of peace offering, pulled the horse into their city. At night the Greek got out of the horse, opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army – which had waited over the horizon then sailed back under cover of night. The Trojans, still none the wiser were caught totally by surprise and died under the swords of the Greeks.
Scientists have created a sort of “Trojan Horse” of a treatment for breast cancer. With this treatment, there isn’t even a drug used! It’s a super tiny particle that makes the cancer cell destroy itself. After slipping through the cell’s defenses (the cell doesn’t see the particle, all it sees is an amino acid it needs and can’t get from anywhere else. The particle then kicks off a reaction in the cell as it begins to overproduce an oxygen molecule that causes the cancer cells to self-destruct while remaining harmless to the healthy cells.
Each of those super tiny particles (nanoparticles, if you want to be specific; “nano” is a measurement of these particles that’s thirty THOUSAND times smaller than a single Human hair!) is covered with an amino acid (like you’d find in salon-grade hair products that specifically help provide hair with moisture and strength, as well as repairing surface damage.) that the cell can’t get inside the body – it only comes into the body through foods like meat and dairy products.
The full technical name of this weapon is “Nanoscopic phenylalanine Porous Amino Acid Mimic,” or Nano-pPAAM. The amino acid, then is called Phenylalanine – also the same kind of substance you see warnings about on some diet foods like Splenda, Equal, and NutraSweet: “Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine” Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a dangerous buildup of phenylalanine can develop when a person with PKU eats protein-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, nuts or meat, and even grains such as bread and pasta, or aspartame.
In case you don’t remember your ancient history, here’s a brief lesson: The Trojan War between the Greeks and the independent city of Troy had lasted 10-years with the Greeks trying to pound down the walls of Troy. Someone go the idea of building a huge wooden horse then stuffing it with a strike team that included the famous warrior, Odysseus. The Greeks sailed away, and the Trojans figuring it was a sort of peace offering, pulled the horse into their city. At night the Greek got out of the horse, opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army – which had waited over the horizon then sailed back under cover of night. The Trojans, still none the wiser were caught totally by surprise and died under the swords of the Greeks.
Scientists have created a sort of “Trojan Horse” of a treatment for breast cancer. With this treatment, there isn’t even a drug used! It’s a super tiny particle that makes the cancer cell destroy itself. After slipping through the cell’s defenses (the cell doesn’t see the particle, all it sees is an amino acid it needs and can’t get from anywhere else. The particle then kicks off a reaction in the cell as it begins to overproduce an oxygen molecule that causes the cancer cells to self-destruct while remaining harmless to the healthy cells.
Each of those super tiny particles (nanoparticles, if you want to be specific; “nano” is a measurement of these particles that’s thirty THOUSAND times smaller than a single Human hair!) is covered with an amino acid (like you’d find in salon-grade hair products that specifically help provide hair with moisture and strength, as well as repairing surface damage.) that the cell can’t get inside the body – it only comes into the body through foods like meat and dairy products.
The full technical name of this weapon is “Nanoscopic phenylalanine Porous Amino Acid Mimic,” or Nano-pPAAM. The amino acid, then is called Phenylalanine – also the same kind of substance you see warnings about on some diet foods like Splenda, Equal, and NutraSweet: “Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine” Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a dangerous buildup of phenylalanine can develop when a person with PKU eats protein-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, nuts or meat, and even grains such as bread and pasta, or aspartame.
In the case of breast cancer, the phenylalanine is a weapon. Once it’s in the cell, it triggers the reaction described above.
“As a proof of concept [evidence, typically derived from an experiment which demonstrates that a design concept is feasible], the scientists tested the efficacy of Nano-pPAAM in the lab and in mice and found that the nanoparticle killed about 80 per cent of breast, skin, and gastric cancer cells, which is comparable to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs like Cisplatin. Tumour growth in mice with human triple negative breast cancer cells was also significantly reduced compared to control models.”
Right now, there is always a chance that the cancer cells will become resistant to the drug treatment – no matter what it is – in this case, because the particle isn’t any kind of drug (like if you got a sliver in your finger, your body reacts against it, causing a painful infection that has to be treated…but you don’t have any kind of DISEASE…it’s just how your body works when it gets a sliver) the cells can’t “get used to it.”
Right now, there is always a chance that the cancer cells will become resistant to the drug treatment – no matter what it is – in this case, because the particle isn’t any kind of drug (like if you got a sliver in your finger, your body reacts against it, causing a painful infection that has to be treated…but you don’t have any kind of DISEASE…it’s just how your body works when it gets a sliver) the cells can’t “get used to it.”
It’s NOT something that’s a treatment now, but “The scientists are now looking to further refine the design and chemistry of the Nano-pPAAM to make it more precise in targeting specific cancer types and achieve higher therapeutic efficacy. This includes combining their method with other therapies such as immunotherapy which uses the body's immune system to fight cancer.”
It’s definitely something to keep an eye on in the future!
Resources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200923124631.htm
Image: https://www.beltandroad.news/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Trojan-Horse-at-Gelibolu-in-Turky-1000x1000.jpg
It’s definitely something to keep an eye on in the future!
Resources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200923124631.htm
Image: https://www.beltandroad.news/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Trojan-Horse-at-Gelibolu-in-Turky-1000x1000.jpg
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