Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a novel method for detecting and eliminating potential cancer cells, particularly in solid tumor masses.

They created hybrid nanoparticles made of gold and copper sulfide.

According to a study published in ACS Applied Nano Materials, these nanoparticles can kill cancer cells with heat and identify them with sound waves. Early detection and treatment are critical in the fight against cancer, according to IISc in Bengaluru.

Copper sulfide nanoparticles have previously been explored for cancer diagnosis, and gold nanoparticles, with their ability to be chemically tailored for cancer cell targeting, exhibit anti-cancer properties.

“These particles have photothermal, oxidative stress, and photoacoustic properties,” says Jaya Prakash, Assistant Professor at the Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), IISc, and one of the corresponding authors of the paper. PhD students Madhavi Tripathi and Swathi Padmanabhan are co-first authors.

These hybrid nanoparticles harness light to generate both heat and singlet oxygen atoms, providing a dual mechanism for cancer cell destruction. Moreover, they have diagnostic potential, utilizing their photoacoustic property to create ultrasound waves for high-contrast cancer cell detection.

Ultrasound waves offer superior image resolution compared to traditional CT and MRI scans, enhancing clarity and enabling measurement of tumor oxygen saturation, significantly improving cancer detection capabilities, unlike traditional methods that require expert interpretation.

“You can integrate this with existing systems of detection or treatment,” says Ashok M Raichur, Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering, and another corresponding author.

The nanoparticles can be activated to generate heat through light exposure using an endoscope commonly employed for cancer screening. Previous nanoparticles had limited applications due to their larger size.

The IISc team used a unique reduction method to deposit gold seeds onto copper sulfide, creating hybrid nanoparticles with a size of less than 8 nm. These nanoparticles could enable easy tissue penetration and tumor targeting, but further safety studies are needed for in vivo use.

In their current laboratory study, the researchers tested these nanoparticles on lung and cervical cancer cell lines. They intend to progress these promising results towards clinical development.