Scientists have discovered an extraordinary way to destroy cancer cells. A study published last year found that stimulating aminocyanine molecules with near-infrared light caused them to vibrate in synchrony, enough to damage the cell membranes of cancer cells.
Aminocyanine molecules have been used as synthetic dyes in bioimaging. Often used in low doses to detect cancer, they remain stable in water and are very good at attaching themselves to the outside of cells.
A team of researchers from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas said their method is a significant improvement over another previously developed cancer-fighting molecular machine called a Feringa-type motor that can also break down problematic of cancer structures.
“This is a whole new generation of molecular machines that we call molecular jackhammers,” Rice University chemist James Tour said when the results were announced in December 2023.
“Their mechanical movement is more than a million times faster than previous Feringa-type motors and can be activated with near-infrared light instead of visible light.”
The use of near-infrared light is important because it allows scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the body. It is possible to treat cancers in bones and organs without surgery to stop the cancer from growing.
In tests on cancer cells grown in the lab, the molecular jackhammer method destroyed cells 99 percent of the time. The method was also tested on mice with melanoma, and half of the animals no longer developed cancer.
The structure and chemistry of the aminocyanine molecules means they synchronize with the right stimulus, such as near-infrared light. When in motion, the electrons within a molecule form what are called plasmons, which are collective vibrating entities that drive the motion of the entire molecule.
“It’s important to emphasize that we found an alternative explanation for how these molecules work,” said Rice University chemist Ciceron Ayala-Orozco.
“This is the first time molecular plasmons have been used in this way to excite an entire molecule and actually produce a mechanical action used to achieve a specific goal – in this case, tearing apart the membrane of a cancer cell.”
The plasmons have an arm on one side that helps connect molecules to cancer cell membranes, while the vibrational motion breaks them apart. The research is still in its early stages, but these preliminary findings are very promising.
It’s also a simple biomechanical technique that cancer cells would have a hard time evolving some sort of blockade against. Next, the researchers are looking for other types of molecules that could be used similarly
“This study is about a different approach to using mechanical forces at the molecular scale to treat cancer,” Ayala-Orozco said.
The study was published in natural chemistry.
An earlier version of this article was published in December 2023.
