Hybrid DNA nanotubes fight cancer
At the nanoscale, the boundary between the natural and artificial often blurs, leading to hybrid materials that cross the border between living and non-living substances. And while these hybrid biomaterials may play the villains in some science fiction films, they also have incredible power to heal. That' s the motivation behind research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where nanoscientists recently succeeded in grafting' DNA-based enzymes onto carbon nanotube frames. The resulting hybrid structure enables the DNA to hitch a ride on the carbon nanotube for delivery to individual cells in the body. These " RNA-Degrading Nano-Enzymes " may play a key role in the fight against cancer, acting to block the production of proteins a cancer cell needs to grow. more @ physorg.com