AsianScientist (Oct. 6, 2017) – Scientists in China have found that a plant-based ink used in Chinese calligraphy has applications in photothermal therapy (PTT) for the treatment of cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. They report their findings in the journal ACS Omega.
As cancer cells leave a tumor, they frequently make their way to lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system. In this case, the main treatment option is surgery, but this can result in complications. PTT is an emerging noninvasive treatment option in which nanomaterials are injected and accumulate in cancer cells. A laser heats up the nanomaterials, and this heat kills the cells. However, many of these nanomaterials are expensive, difficult to make and toxic.
Interestingly, a traditional Chinese ink called Hu-Kaiwen ink (Hu-ink) that has been used by Chinese calligraphers to create beautiful messages and art for hundreds of years, has similar properties to the nanomaterials used in PTT. For example, they are the same color, and both are carbon-based and stable in water.
In this study, a team of scientists led by Professor Yang Wuli of Fudan University in China explored whether Hu-ink could be a good alternative material for PTT. The researchers analyzed Hu-ink and found that it consists of nanoparticles and thin layers of carbon. When Hu-ink was heated with a laser, its temperature rose by 131 degrees Fahrenheit, much higher than current nanomaterials.
The Hu-ink was non-toxic to the cells unless a laser was applied, granting the researchers precise control over cell-killing function. When the ink was used in mice, the researchers were able to destroy tumors that had spread to lymph nodes by shining the laser on specific locations.
The researchers further noted that Hu-ink could act as a probe to locate tumors and metastases because it absorbs near-infrared light, which goes through skin. This paves the way for ink-based diagnostics and therapeutics for metastatic cancer in the future.
The article can be found at: Wang et al. (2017) New Application of Old Material: Chinese Traditional Ink for Photothermal Therapy of Metastatic Lymph Nodes.
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Source: American Chemical Society; Photo: Pixabay.
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