Nanoparticle alternative to chemotherapy

(ANSA) - Genoa, March 10 - Magnetic 'nanovectors' of drugs to treat solid tumours have been conceived by the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa to study an alternative to chemotherapy to avoid its side effects.
    The project, codenamed FluoMagneto, consists of the use of magnetic nanoparticles that release the chemotherapy drug at the site of the tumour using an alternate magnetic field.
    "The magnetic nanoparticles transport the drugs for anti-tumour therapy in a more 'intelligent' way in alternative to traditional chemotherapy," explains Teresa Pellegrino from the IIT in Genoa, the coordinator of the Fluomagneto team that also includes researchers Maria Elena Materia, Liberato Manna and Simone Nitti.
    "In this way one can reduce the doses of chemotherapy drugs and the collateral effects. It is a very active research, on the frontier, that is being developed - the field of application is widening and involving more sectors. These magnetic nanoparticles can be used as agents of contrast to diagnose tumours, potentially they could also separate tumour cells".
    FluoMagneto is among 10 start-up finalists of BioUpper, the programme of project acceleration in the field of life sciences launched by Novartis and the Cariplo Foundation with PoliHub.