Scientists develop silicon nanochips to fight cancer cells

Scientists from the Spanish National Research Council have made a breakthrough by developing a new way to fight cancer cells - silicon nanochips. They are shaped like a star or a snowflake with a diameter of 22 micrometers, and their thickness can vary from 50 to 500 nanometers. Due to its size, the nanochip penetrates into a living cell and begins to mechanically act on it, destroying it from the inside, writes Tekhkult.

The idea of a new method of fighting cancer appeared due to the study of the mechanical functions of the cell and the impact of various factors on them. The fact is that the cytoskeleton of a cell is a dynamic structure that is integrated with the membrane and performs the functions of a shell, armor and filter. This design is constantly changing, adapting to different situations, and Spanish scientists decided to learn how to influence this process.

Silicon nanochips are not perceived by cells as a threat - moreover, they actively capture them. However, when it comes to reproduction, the hard nanochip becomes a serious hindrance. The cell cannot complete division and eventually dies. Spanish researchers have proven this experimentally - the nanochip acts like a splinter in the cell body, which works at a critical moment and disrupts the cell cycle.

In experiments with ovarian cancer biomaterial, silicon nanochips managed to kill 90% of the cells. However, a star is not the best form for nanochips, scientists continue to experiment with finding more efficient options. But it is already clear that with existing technologies it is possible to manufacture millions of identical nanochips and create an innovative tool to fight cancer based on them.

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