A recent study at Stanford looks at the potential effects of a "smart particle" on different diseases and cancers. This "smart particle" is a virus that has been redisigned to deliver vaccines and therapies directly where they are needed. ""We make it smart by adding molecular tags that act like addresses to send the therapeutic payload where we want it to go."" (Stanford University)
"Targeted drug delivery is one of the ultimate goals of medicine because it seeks to focus remedies on diseased cells, minimizing the side effects that occur when, for instance, radiation or chemotherapies harm healthy cells while treating cancer." (Standford University) Much more research and effort needs to be done in order to essentially load these viruses (smart particles) with tiny quantities medicines; however, what has been accomplished by these researchers is something that was said could never be done.
I found this article extremely interesting and very hopeful for patients in the future. This new form of treatment and technology, in my opinion, could lead to a breakthrough in Biotechnology and Genetics.
To read this article click here.
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