The addition of moisturizing cream allows the drug to penetrate deeply into cancerous tissue, according to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In the case of skin cancers, for example melanoma, applying the drug directly to the skin surface seems to be the ideal solution – it is easy and only applies to the area where it was applied.
The problem is that human skin is an effective protective barrier. To drive drugs deeper, clinicians use lasers or ultrasound.
Amy Paller and Chad Mirkin of Northwestern University in Chicago found a way to break the skin barrier.
First, they placed short fragments of double-stranded RNA (siRNA) on tiny gold beads. The siRNA fragments cause the silencing of the expression of genes with a homologous sequence (RNA interference – RNAi) in neoplastic cells. The idea was to switch off the gene encoding the epithelial growth factor (EGF) responsible for the rapid growth of the tumor.
The siRNA-coated golden beads were mixed with a store-bought moisturizer and then applied to the skin of mice. As a result, the nanoparticles not only penetrated the skin, but also the siRNA hit the appropriate gene, without causing negative side effects in the skin surrounding the treated area (PAP).
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