Scientists may be on the way to finding a cure for cancer, and this cure comes in the form of a genetically modified (GM) algae.
A research team from Australia and Germany are working on the algae, which are found to target cancer cells but leave the normal, healthy cells unharmed.
If these genetically modified microorganisms prove to be effective outside of a laboratory setup, it could bring major changes to the different methods of treating cancer. Currently, chemotherapeutic drugs not only kill cancer cells but also the normal ones, leaving adverse side effects.
The study, which was published this week in the journal Nature Communications, found that the algae were able to kill 90 percent of cancer cells in cultured human cells. In addition, the algae were found to be effective in killing cancer cells in mice tumors.
For the study, the scientists used diatom algae to help deliver the chemotherapy drugs. This method is the same as using nanoparticles derived from silica, only much cheaper to produce.
According to University of South Australia's Nico Voelcker, diatom algae are a type of microscopic, single-celled photosynthesizing organisms that are measured to be only four to six micrometers in diameter, Express reported.
The engineered algae were developed to carry proteins that make them bind to antibodies, resulting to the organisms targeting cancerous cells only.
The chemotherapeutic drugs "hide" inside the algae and then transported to where the cancer cells are, targeting them without affecting healthy cells.
What's great about this promising discovery is the algae are inexpensive to produce as it only needs light and water for them to grow, unlike the silica-based nanoparticles.
Voelcker explained that the findings are still in its preliminary stages, but the method shows a lot of potential, especially for untreatable types of tumors, such as those found in the brain.
