Vibrating Aminocyanine Molecules Destroy 99% of Lab-Grown Cancer Cells; Effective in Mice With Melanoma Tumors [Study]

Vibrating Aminocyanine Molecules Destroy 99% of Lab-Grown Cancer Cells; Effective in Mice with Melanoma Tumors [Study]
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/William Crochot)

Vibrating molecules can now be used to destroy cancer cells. This is what the researchers found out in a recent study.

Vibrating Molecules Kill Cancer Cells

A team of researchers from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas discovered a novel way to kill cancer. In a new study titled "Molecular jackhammers eradicate cancer cells by vibronic-driven action," they found that aminocyanine molecules stimulated using near-infrared light caused them to vibrate in sync and break the membranes of cancer cells.

"It is a whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers," said Rice University chemist James Tour.

"They are more than one million times faster in their mechanical motion than the former Feringa-type motors, and they can be activated with near-infrared light rather than visible light."

Aminocyanine molecules are already used as artificial dyes in bioimaging. They are highly effective at adhering to the exterior of cells and remain stable in water, making them a common choice for low-dose cancer detection.

Near-infrared light is crucial because it allows researchers to penetrate the body further. It may be possible to treat cancer in the bones and organs without requiring surgery to reach the cancerous tumor.

In experiments conducted on laboratory-grown cancer cells in culture, the molecular jackhammer approach had a 99 percent success rate in eliminating the cells. Mice with melanoma tumors were also used to test the method; half of the animals became cancer-free.

Due to their structure and chemical makeup, aminocyanine molecules respond accordingly when given the correct stimuli, such as near-infrared light. When in motion, the electrons within the molecules create plasmons, which are collectively vibrating entities that propel movement across the entire molecule.

Chemist Ciceron Ayala-Orozco from Rice University said it was essential to highlight the discovery of how molecules can work.

It was the first instance of using a molecular plasmon to excite the entire molecule and cause mechanical motion employed to accomplish a specific purpose, in this case, rupturing the membrane of cancer cells.

ALSO READ: How One Gets Lung Cancer Without Smoking?

Cancer Cells Create Barrier To Evade Immune System

Cancer cells thrive because they know how to combat the immune systems. They have three techniques to battle our immune system -- hide, fight back, or build a physical barrier.

A recent study examined the third one, finding that cancer cells build acidic walls as barriers. The researchers found that this wall of increased acidity was virtually devoid of the killer T cells that our bodies require to fight off viruses and other hazardous cell types by looking at samples from human tumor tissue.

As stated differently, cancer forms an acid wall to strengthen itself against the immune system.

It has long been recognized that tumors are slightly more acidic than normal human tissue. The main culprit is their production of lactic acid, a waste product of cell metabolism. However, the acidity of cancer cells varies.

According to a separate study, tumor cells can readily generate proteins that increase their aggressiveness in an acidic environment. By decreasing the acidity of the tumor environment in mice, the researchers showed how they might halt this process.