Pharmaceutical scientist Cristina Müller examines tumour cells under a microscope. (Photo: Paul Scherrer Institute/Mahir Dzambegovic)
Most cancer cells carry unique receptors on their surface. Because the receptors extend into the cell's interior, they act as intermediaries between the outside and the inside. Chemotherapeutic drugs that dock on the exterior trigger a cascade of biochemical reactions inside the cell. At the end of this process, the cancer cells should die off. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI are now investigating a new method that would not only attach radioactive substances to the outside of a cancer cell, but also would channel them right into the cell's nucleus. Thus the radiation source would remain inside the cell and work in a more targeted way, by getting closer to the genetic information. If the suitable radioactive compounds can be found, this method has the potential to help with several kinds of cancer in the future.
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