Scientists in the United States have recently discovered a method to eliminate cancer cells by using near-infrared light to stimulate molecules, causing them to vibrate.
This method uses near-infrared light to vibrate molecules and can destroy 99% of cancer cells. (Image: Euro News).
They found that this method is 99% effective against malignant cancer cells cultured in the laboratory. Their approach involves vibrating molecules that are stained red with near-infrared light.
This creates what is called plasmons, which are rapid oscillations of electrons in the molecule, similar to the motion of ocean waves. This causes the membrane of the cancer cells to rupture.
These findings were published in the December 2023 issue of Nature Chemistry.
Scientist Ciceron Ayala-Orozco, who works at Rice University in the U.S. and is the lead author of the study, stated: “The vibrations activated by near-infrared light destroy anything surrounding the molecule, in this case, the cancer cells.”
He mentioned that researchers have so far developed a method called “molecular drilling” that has proven effective in the lab and on mice, but they still face challenges in applying this method to humans.
Ciceron Ayala-Orozco noted that the main obstacle in applying this type of method to humans is the potential side effects and toxicity.
Dr. Nisharnthi Duggan, who works at the UK Cancer Research Agency and was not involved in the study, stated that a significant challenge in cancer research is designing drugs that cancer cells cannot develop resistance to.
“The new research shows the potential of using infrared light to make certain molecules vibrate and destroy cells, a process that they are less likely to develop resistance against. This is early-stage research, but this idea could lead to new ways to treat some types of cancer,” Dr. Duggan remarked.
