Home > News > Coverage of Caltech’s “Cancer Fighting” Nanoparticles is Over-Hyped and Premature
March 25th, 2010
Coverage of Caltech’s “Cancer Fighting” Nanoparticles is Over-Hyped and Premature
Abstract:
Maybe you've read about the amazing "cancer-killing nanobots" from Caltech that use RNA as a weapon. They've been making waves in news media all week. The truth is that many headlines, and stories, are grossly misleading. Caltech, along with biotech firm Calando, has developed a method of using nanoparticles to cause RNA interference in cancer cells. The news has caused a nice jump in the stock of Calando's parent company, Arrowhead Research (NASDAQ: ARWR). But all the talk about Caltech striking a major blow against cancer is premature. We don't know if this RNA interference will actually destroy cancer cells, or even be safe to use because it's still in phase I clinical trials. As often happens with science linked to cancer research, the media has over-hyped a promising technology, pressuring it to perform before it is able.
Source:
singularityhub.com
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