Cancer Nanotechnology
Researchers and industrial groups propose that advances in nanotechnology offer opportunities for developing effective cancer diagnosis and treatments. Polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles, nanogels, dendrimers – these are all tools used by academic and industrial researchers in the war against cancer, as well as nano particles such as gold or silver with drugs such as Herceptin decorated on their surfaces. However, researchers agree that liposomes, the first drug carrying nano carrier to reach cancer clinics, are some of the most advanced cancer related nano devices. For this reason, this strand of the online debate will focus on liposomes in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Although researchers maintain that liposomal based drug delivery system will prove especially effective for future cancer diagnosis and treatment, they recognize that this assumption is shaped, to a great extent, by researchers’ unique frame of reference or mindset, which may be different from the mindsets of other stakeholders. We need to engage and learn from these diverse mindsets by improving communication between nano researchers and their stakeholders. A dialogue between nano researchers and their diverse stakeholders may prove to be the best way of optimizing the potential benefits of liposomal drug or imaging agent delivery systems. Indeed, dialogue may lead to co-creation of new knowledge, and discovery of unique pathways that may lead to novel discoveries and inventions. This cancer nanotechnology thematic strand has been designed to further such a dialogue.
Key questions that could be explored in this online discussion include:
1) Where are we now in cancer diagnosis and treatment?
2) How could advances in liposomal R&D revolutionalize or change cancer diagnosis and treatment?
3) In the promotional efforts of nano researchers, how can we tell the realistic from the unrealistic visions in describing the future benefits to cancer research from these technologies?
4) What safety concerns are raised by liposomal drug delivery systems?
5) What alternative cancer related research pathways are articulated by other networks of scientific, biomedical, and other patients’ advocacy groups?
6) What are diverse stakeholders’ perceptions or opinions about liposomal drug delivery systems?
4 comments:
Dr Mercy Kamara
Carl wrote:
Hi, I’m not an expert in this, I’m a former cancer patient, and I try follow the debate on different forms of cancer treatment and how society should prioritize its investment into treatment and prevention. Thanks for posing all the good questions.
To follow up on question 3) above: I would like to know more about how the different biomedical communities of researchers and cancer experts access of the dreams or visions of curing cancer by these ‘nanotechnology’ approaches. Would the liposome based drug delivery simply make chemotherapy more efficient, or do we also need development of new drugs for chemotherapy for different cancers?
Furthermore, using the distinction between prevention and treatment, obviously the nano-technology of liposomes form part of possible future treatment regimes, but let’s say they’ll become successful and allow for efficient use of lesser doses of highly specific chemotherapeutic drugs, would this development lead to more widespread use of such drugs also for ‘preventive interventions’? Would be all be advised to use such drug regimes for prevention of cancer and how would heavy investment of such generalized treatment regimes effect the investment into other routes for preventing spread of cancer diseases in society?
In Denmark rigth now there is a discussion on the somewhat shaky grounds for offering breast cancer screenings to all women over a certain age, as it may be the case that a big group of those diagnosed with canser as a result of screening programmes who will be offered treatment would never really develop cancer, as we all seem to have nonmalignant forms of cancer, kept in control by our own body and its immune system.
Holger wrote:
I am by no means an expert nor have I had cancer.
One’s “feeling” about this product would in my mind very much depend on whether one was
diagnosed with cancer or not. Being “doomed” I believe one would grab for any cure; from looking
into crystal balls to having radioactive treatment.
Having a foreign object floating around in your body and hoping for it to be activated at the right
location and time is of course the crucial question. If that works then a lot of bad side effect
normally following cancer treatment could be avoided. Question is: Has there been enough
independent research done for the end users to have confidence in the method or is it yet
another money machine for the producers?
Troels wrote:
I am not an expert either, nor have I had cancer.
As such one thing that springs to my mind is what the potential side effects of liposomal drug delivery systems may be, and more particularly what could/would happen if the delivery of the drug was mistimed.
Next, and in light of my background within research (although on a completely different field), it seems to me that the type of treatment in question poses extremely interesting possibilities, also for treatment of other diseases where a benefit could be gained from an exact delivery of a drug both in time and place/space. In my mind further research (also regarding side effects) shold definitely be encouraged.
Apart from that I am pretty much in line with Holger’s comment above. In the hypothetic stituation of beeing doomed by way of a cancer diagnosis I too would probably grab out for any straw nearby.
And in that case I feel questions regarding side effects and alternative treatments may even be of lesser importance, depending on such factors as the trustworthyness of the doctor and particularly the severeity of the diagnosis, i.e. the time left, so to speak, in which to react.