ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
Porous silica particles hold great promise as drug delivery vehicles, thanks to their stability, biocompatibility, and chemical inertness. Unfortunately, these particles can be expensive to synthesize and require toxic chemicals, such as hydrofluoric acid, to make their all-important pores. But making porous silica particles is easy for the unicellular algae known as diatoms. These microorganisms have a porous cell wall that’s made of silica, giving them the nickname “algae that live in glass houses.” Researchers led by Nicolas H. Voelcker of the University of South Australia and Nils Kröger of Dresden University of Technology have taken these silica skeletons and tweaked them to target cancer cells (Nat. Commun. 2015, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9791). The scientists genetically engineered the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana to produce the immunoglobulin G-binding domain of protein G on its surface. This handle allows them to attach antibodies that target specific cancer cells. After the scientists evict the algae from its skeleton, they load the particle with cancer-fighting drugs. The researchers showed the antibody-armed particles selectively kill neuroblastoma and B-lymphoma cells in vitro and reduce the size of neuroblastoma tumors in mice.
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on X