[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6505\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELight-controlled nanomaterials could hunt out and destroy cancer cells\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s one of a number of research projects which are developing prototypes of novel diagnostic methods by forging partnerships between academia and industry and using staff secondments to companies or other countries to improve their research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon), France, Dr Vladimir Lysenko\u2019s team is investigating four types of carbon nanomaterials to understand which has the most promise to be used as a theranostic tool.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe eventual aim is for light- and sound-sensitive nanomaterials to be delivered to cancer cells in patients, which would then be activated by a light source, through ultrasound, or both. Gentle activation would allow cells labelled with the nanomaterials to be imaged so medical professionals can see what they\u2019re dealing with, whereas strong activation would destroy the cancer cells hosting the nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are two ways in which the nanomaterials could reach cancer cells once they\u2019ve been introduced into the human body. One is by tweaking the nanomaterials so that they recognise cancer cells specifically, and the other is to harness the fact that cancer cells grow in a fast and uncontrolled way, and would therefore naturally pick up a higher concentration of these materials than healthy cells. This method would mean that fast-growing, aggressive cancers would be particularly susceptible to such an approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe job of Dr Lysenko\u2019s team is to investigate which nanomaterials would work best. They are researching four different types: carbon fluroxide nanoparticles, nanodiamonds, carbon nanotubes and graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018They are all based on carbon, which means that the only difference is the form and the surface chemical binding of the carbon (atoms),\u2019 said Dr Lysenko. \u2018We will see how the sizes and the shapes of the nanomaterials will impact, for example, their biocompatibility.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELinks with industry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile much of what Dr Lysenko and his team are doing is fundamental science, the project\u2019s links with industry \u2013 a nanodiamond manufacturer in Israel and an optical imaging company in Ukraine \u2013 are allowing them to analyse how their work can eventually be used in the biomedical market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project, called CARTHER, has received funding under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie RISE programme, which funds staff exchanges between different sectors or countries.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018There is direct feedback from the industrial partners. This really helps both industry and institutions to understand what is really necessary.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProf. Tibor Hianik, Comenius University, Slovakia\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Lysenko says this type of collaboration has two main advantages, it gives his team access to materials and technologies from industry which wouldn\u2019t be available otherwise, and it gives companies fundamental science knowledge that they could take forward to commercialise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr Cristina Ress from Italian company Optoi Microelectronics, which leads a project funded under the same programme, there is a third advantage to exchanges with institutions in other parts of the world, which is that they provide a way of validating their work across diverse populations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe coordinates the miRNA-DisEASY project, which is investigating the potential of microRNA \u2013 tiny molecules that control whether a gene is turned on or off \u2013 to act as indicators of disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy partnering with a university in Brazil, Dr Ress says they can ensure that their results stand up across different populations. \u2018Sometimes genetic variation can affect microRNA expression depending on if you are a woman or a man, they may change depending on the age of a person, and on different ethnic groups,\u2019 she said. \u2018The University of Santa Catarina has samples from Latin America and we want to compare the expression of microRNA in different samples from Europe and South America.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe end result of the project, which finishes in 2019, will be a prototype light-based device that can detect specific microRNAs in humans. Because these are present in bodily fluids such as blood, urine and saliva, and their character changes in the presence of disease, Dr Ress says that such a test would be a quick and easy way of diagnosing diseases such as cancer in a clinic rather than sending samples to a lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMicroRNAs can even be used to identify whether someone\u2019s cancer will respond to a particular treatment, meaning doctors can target therapies accordingly. The project is focusing specifically on lung cancer, but Dr Ress believes it has potential for other diseases, and could one day be used in pharmacies for people to detect conditions such as liver damage from overuse of drugs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMilk enzymes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew biological detection techniques are not just confined to human subjects, however. In Slovakia, Hungary and Ireland, researchers are working out how to design a test to detect particular enzymes in milk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/horizon-magazine.eu\/alert\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Subscribe to our newsletter\u0022 height=\u0022222\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/news-alert-final.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022Subscribe to our newsletter\u0022 width=\u0022983\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003ESubscribe to our newsletter\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe FORMILK project, led by Professor Tibor Hianik from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, is developing sensors to identify two milk enzymes \u2013 plasmin and lactase. Knowing how much plasmin is in a sample of milk is an important quality control device for farmers, as an abundance of the enzyme is good for cheesemaking, but could make pasteurised milk taste bitter. And lactase is used in the production of lactose-free products.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Usually farmers don\u2019t have specialist analytical techniques for checking the products,\u2019 says Prof. Hianik. \u2018Usually they send it to a centralised institute, but this has some delay. This is why it is necessary to have some site control and flexible instruments, which can give you very immediate results of the quality of the milk.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the end of the project in 2019, he hopes to have a prototype device that is connected to a sensor and can monitor these enzymes in milk, along with guidelines of how best to control lactose levels. The idea is then for one of the industrial partners to take the device forward to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe says the staff secondments that take place as part of the project are vital for transferring knowledge between different project partners, as are regular meetings. \u2018All the partners collaborate in a workshop and there is direct feedback from the industrial partners. This really helps both industry and institutions to understand what is really necessary.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-s-y0tz5pexmxi-fckajusveu-sccevtjiredbkchnly\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-s-Y0TZ5peXmxi-FCKAjusvEU_scCevtjiReDbkcHnlY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]