A team of researchers ed by professor Dar-Bin Shieh of Institute of Oral Medicine in Medical College at the National Cheng Kung University has collaborated with scientists led by Dr. Dennis Whitefield from National Research Council of Canada to create cancer diagnostic and therapy technologies.
Professor Shieh says, the research that lasted almost six years consisted of seven professors from universities and Academia Sinica across Taiwan and four scientists from the National Research Council of Canada.
The enhanced nano-contrast agent can accurately identify cancer cells by X rays computed tomography and nuclear MRI , to reveal the genetic characteristics of the cancer cells. This research paper has appeared in a 2010 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS),
The research also showed that single domain antibodies of Llama in South America could help combat cancer cells. The antibody is a nano-sized IgG and withstands harsh environments and pH, and could impulsively revert to its original form when removed from the harsh environment.
The team developed the antibody through a virus that destroys bacteria and analyzes multiple single domain antibodies that feature different binding characteristics to identify cancer cells and increase the antibodies. The cost- effective platform could enable mass-production of healthcare solutions.
The scientists found a single domain antibody type that could identify particular cancer cell membrane glycoprotein that stunts their growth, neoangiogenic activity, metastasis and tumor microenvironment control in the cancer prototypes that were tested. The discovery that could be used in cancer diagnosis and therapy is awaiting a patent.
Source: http://web.ncku.edu.tw