Some of the greatest discoveries in history have been made by accident. The pacemaker, Post-It Notes, and the microwave oven were all created when their inventors were trying to create something else. Dr. Wei Chen, who is a physics professor and director of the Center for Security Advances via Applied Nanotechnology, or SAVANT Center, at the University of Texas at Arlington, may be the latest person added to the list of creators who accidentally discovered something that could change the world.
Dr. Chen and his team were working with nanoparticles for use in radiation detection, which is very important in homeland security efforts, when they came across something else that caught their attention. Dr. Chen discovered that a toxic byproduct called singlet oxygen can be used to damage cancer cells in photodynamic therapy. "Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method for cancer treatment and it has been designated as a promising modality in the treatment of cancer since the early 1980s," said Dr. Chen. "More importantly, it can be used to treat deep tumor such as breast cancer because the light source is attached to the photosensitizers and are delivered to the tumor cells altogether."
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter at an atomic or even a subatomic level. Dr. Chen, who has been using nanotechnology for cancer studies since 2000, also invented a new method for cancer treatment called nanoparticle self-lighting photodynamic therapy.
"In this modality, luminescence nanoparticles are used as light sources to activate light sensitive drugs for cancer treatment," he explained. As far as how significant Dr. Chen's new discovery could be a turning point in the world of cancer treatments. "The discovery can combine photodynamic therapy and radiation therapy for cancer treatment. Potentially, this combination makes the treatment more effective and may reduce the side-effects from radiation, which is a critical issue for radiation therapy. This would be a good example for using nanotechnology to fight against cancer and help people have a better and healthier life," said Dr. Chen.
Some of the greatest discoveries in history have been made by accident. The pacemaker, Post-It Notes, and the microwave oven were all created when their inventors were trying to create something else. Dr. Wei Chen, who is a physics professor and director of the Center for Security Advances via Applied Nanotechnology, or SAVANT Center, at the University of Texas at Arlington, may be the latest person added to the list of creators who accidentally discovered something that could change the world.
Dr. Chen and his team were working with nanoparticles for use in radiation detection, which is very important in homeland security efforts, when they came across something else that caught their attention. Dr. Chen discovered that a toxic byproduct called singlet oxygen can be used to damage cancer cells in photodynamic therapy. "Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a method for cancer treatment and it has been designated as a promising modality in the treatment of cancer since the early 1980s," said Dr. Chen. "More importantly, it can be used to treat deep tumor such as breast cancer because the light source is attached to the photosensitizers and are delivered to the tumor cells altogether."
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter at an atomic or even a subatomic level. Dr. Chen, who has been using nanotechnology for cancer studies since 2000, also invented a new method for cancer treatment called nanoparticle self-lighting photodynamic therapy.
"In this modality, luminescence nanoparticles are used as light sources to activate light sensitive drugs for cancer treatment," he explained. As far as how significant Dr. Chen's new discovery could be a turning point in the world of cancer treatments. "The discovery can combine photodynamic therapy and radiation therapy for cancer treatment. Potentially, this combination makes the treatment more effective and may reduce the side-effects from radiation, which is a critical issue for radiation therapy. This would be a good example for using nanotechnology to fight against cancer and help people have a better and healthier life," said Dr. Chen.
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