Inorganic nanoparticles for cancer therapy

Chemotherapy drugs are known to have widespread side effects. Zinc oxide nanowires have been shown to kill cancer cells without killing healthy equivalents but they degrade too fast in blood. Here, we develop silica nanoparticles containing zinc that can deliver zinc inside cells. The project involves nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, to optimize the zinc delivery. Uptake of the nanoparticles into cells is being investigated, including identifying toxicity ranges and doses in which the nanoparticles can kill breast and bone cancer cells without killing the healthy equivalents.