Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have created a novel method that may be used to identify and eradicate cancer cells, particularly those that form solid tumor masses.

According to a study published in “ACS Applied Nano Materials,” they have developed hybrid copper sulfide and gold nanoparticles that may heat-kill cancer cells and enable their detection using sound waves.

The IISc, situated in Bengaluru, stated in a statement on Monday that early detection and treatment are essential in the fight against cancer. While gold nanoparticles, which can be chemically altered to target cancer cells, have demonstrated anti-cancer benefits, copper sulfide nanoparticles have previously attracted attention for their use in cancer diagnostics.

The IISc team chose to combine these two to create hybrid nanoparticles for the current investigation.
“These particles have photothermal, oxidative stress, and photoacoustic properties,” explains Jaya Prakash, assistant professor at the Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), IISc, and one of the paper’s corresponding authors. Co-first authors are PhD candidates Madhavi Tripathi and Swathi Padmanabhan.

Existing techniques like standalone CT and MRI scans need qualified radiology specialists to interpret the images. Once the nanoparticles reach the cancer cells, their photoacoustic ability enables them to absorb light and produce ultrasound vibrations, which can be used to detect cancer cells with high contrast.

Since sound waves scatter less through tissues than light does, the ultrasound waves produced by the particles provide a more precise imaging resolution. It was noticed that scans made from the produced ultrasound waves can also offer improved resolution and can be utilized to evaluate the tumor’s oxygen saturation, enhancing its detection.

Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering and another contributing author Ashok M. Raichur said, “You can integrate this with existing systems of detection or treatment.”

For instance, by focusing a light on the nanoparticles with an endoscope, which is generally used for cancer screening, the nanoparticles can be made to emit heat.

The huge size of previously created nanoparticles has hampered their usage. The IISc team applied small gold seeds to the copper sulphide surface using a brand-new reduction technique. Less than 8 nm in size, the resulting hybrid nanoparticles have the ability to quickly penetrate tissues and reach tumors.

Although considerable research must be done to identify whether nanoparticles are safe to employ inside the human body, the researchers believe that their small size would also allow them to depart the body naturally without collecting.
In the current work, the researchers used lung cancer and cervical cancer cell lines to evaluate their nanoparticles in the lab. They now intend to advance the findings for clinical development.