Nanoparticles are incredibly tiny - the term “nano” refers to a millionth of a millimeter. Cancer researchers and doctors around the world hope that these particles, which consist of just a few atoms, could play an important role in cancer therapy in the future. For example, nanorods made of gold are specifically introduced into tumors. There they attach themselves to the malignant cells. An externally applied electromagnetic field causes the gold rods to vibrate, causing them to heat up more and more - until the surrounding tumor cells can no longer withstand the heat and die. One challenge here is the precise detection of the target cells. Researchers at Essen University Hospital and the University of Duisburg/Essen are now working together to further develop this method in order to specifically eliminate cells that help tumors to grow.
