How does Nano-Cancer^® therapy work?

Nano-Cancer^® therapy is a new way of treating tumors locally. With this technique, any temperature between 41°C and 45°C / 106°F and 113°F (hyperthermia), as well as between 46°C and 70°C / 115°F and 158°F (thermoablation) can be selected. At temperatures up to 46°C / 115°F within the tumor, the effect of simultaneously applied radiation or chemotherapy is enhanced. The increased effect to radiation therapy takes place, for instance, through the heat-related function loss of repair enzymes, which normally repair radiation damage to the DNA and therefore enable the survival of tumor cells. When these important enzymes are damaged by heat, the tumor cells die even at smaller radiation doses and therefore, radiation-resistant tumor cells are also affected by the combination treatment. Heat also negatively affects other proteins, though – for instance those proteins which are responsible for allowing chemo-resistant tumor cells to eject the cytostatic drugs which damage them. When these "pumps" fail due to the influence of heat, even chemo-resistant tumor cells die because the active substances continue to remain within the cells.

At temperatures over 46°C / 115°F, nearly all cell biomolecules are affected, and the cell dies directly from the consequences of overheating. The body then breaks down the cell debris naturally. The released nanoparticles are either absorbed by surrounding intact tumor cells or are likewise taken away by macrophages (scavenger cells). The nanoparticles which are no longer needed are stored in the spleen and liver. Here, they are slowly broken down and provided to the body for iron metabolism.

Protecting healthy tissue

The principle behind the method is the direct, minimally invasive introduction of magnetic nanoparticles into the tumor and their subsequent heating in an alternating magnetic field. The nanoparticles are very small particles of iron oxide with a diameter of approximately 20 nanometers (including the covering) which are suspended in a liquid. The particles are made to vibrate by a magnetic field which alters its polarity up to 100,000 times per minute. In response, they generate heat.

This technique makes it possible to fight the tumor from the inside out. Through their application, the particles are placed directly in the tumor. Their special coating allows them to penetrate into the tumor cells. Due to this covered design, they remain in the tumor and are not ejected, so that the treatment is limited solely to the tumorous tissues. Surrounding healthy tissues are spared.