New Nanotechnology Methods May Improve Cancer Treatment
Researchers are testing nanotechnology tools designed to target cancer cells more precisely while sparing healthy tissue.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Cancer
Live Poll
Do you believe nanotechnology-based treatments will offer better cancer outcomes than traditional chemotherapy?
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed several nanotechnology-based methods for cancer treatment and diagnosis. These pre-clinical advances focus on targeting tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue to potentially improve patient care.
Why it matters
Current cancer treatments, like traditional chemotherapy, often damage both cancerous and healthy cells. These new nanotechnology approaches aim to improve precision, which could lead to more effective treatments with fewer side effects.
Pre-clinical laboratory research using mouse models demonstrated that nanomedicine can inhibit breast cancer tumor growth. Separately, a CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostic method successfully identified genetic mutations in 30 minutes, though human-level data is not yet available.
The players
Dr. Mofizur Rahman
A researcher and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai specializing in nanotechnology.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
A prominent medical school and research institution in New York City focusing on biomedical innovation.
The details
One approach uses SARS-CoV-2 mRNA to teach cancer cells to display coronavirus spike proteins, making them recognizable to the immune system. Additionally, researchers developed nanobody-functionalized liposomes, created through a simplified single-step manufacturing process, to target cancer cells. A third development involves genetically engineered extracellular vesicles designed specifically to recognize liver cancer cells.
Timeline
30 minutes is the time required for the new CRISPR-Cas12a method to detect mutations.
Health Landscape
These developments align with the broader effort at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to advance personalized cancer medicine. This research marks a shift toward highly targeted delivery systems designed to overcome the limitations of conventional broad-spectrum chemotherapy.
While these findings are promising for future cancer care, they are currently limited to laboratory and pre-clinical stages. Patients interested in how emerging nanomedicine might eventually fit into their long-term care plans should discuss current treatment options with their oncologist.
The takeaway
These nanotechnology advancements seek to increase treatment precision by distinguishing cancer cells from healthy tissue. Patients should continue to follow established screening protocols as these methods move through the research pipeline.
Further reading
For more information on current advancements, visit the Cancer section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bangladeshpost.
Live Poll
Do you believe nanotechnology-based treatments will offer better cancer outcomes than traditional chemotherapy?
