Carbon nanotubes attenuate cancer and improve healing

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women and the second largest cause of their cancer mortality. Resection of the primary tumor can greatly improve the prognosis, but if any of the cancerous cells remain, the patient is still at risk. This work investigates the ability of high aspect ratio nanoparticles to both heal injured tissue and attenuate cancer cells' aggression.;To assess different particles' utility, carbon nanoparticles were evaluated in a fibroblast and collagen gel model of wound contraction, then polymeric nanoparticles were synthesized and tested similarly. The carbon particles, multi-walled nanotubes (MWNT) in particular, performed the best, strongly inhibiting pathological wound contraction, increasing cell viability, and decreasing reactive oxygen species. Later, carbon nanoparticle coatings with or without collagen were tested with breast cancer cells to assess adhesion, migration, and E-cadherin expression of the cells. The collagen-MWNT coatings were able to increase cancer cell adhesion to their substrate, decrease migration, increase E-cadherin expression, and also increase autophagy. The coatings effected all these changes without increasing proliferation of the cancer cells or affecting non-tumorigenic breast cells.;To examine how these two sets of results might act together, co-cultures were then created with both fibroblasts and cancer cells in collagen gels with or without MWNT. The cells' movement and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression were measured to gauge the cells' interaction in that environment, as fibroblasts can encourage or suppress metastasis depending on their behavior. The MWNT were able to decrease cancer cell movement, particularly their invasion into the gel, and selectively promote cancer cell death without harming the non-tumorigenic cells. They also decreased MMP expression. Finally, early in vivo work was undertaken to determine how the collagen-nanoparticle gels are able to control cancer in mice. Early trends suggest that the material might be quite helpful, but more work is necessary.;Overall, the collagen-MWNT mixture has shown great promise and sensitivity in targeting pathological cells while improving the characteristics of the supporting cells. This novel method of mechanical control of cancer suggests new possibilities for cancer treatment, which has traditionally been conducted only through biochemical or radiological means.