Silicon nanostars easily destroy cancer cells from the inside.
Scientists from the Spanish National Research Council have made a breakthrough by developing a new way to combat cancer cells – silicon nanochips. They have the shape of a star or snowflake with a diameter of 22 micrometres, and their thickness can vary from 50 to 500 nanometers. At this size, the nanochip penetrates the living cell and begins to mechanically affect it, destroying it from the inside. During experiments with ovarian cancer biomaterial, silicon nanochips managed to kill 90% of the cells. However, the star is not the best form for nanochips, scientists continue to experiment with finding more effective options. But it is already clear that with existing technologies it is possible to produce millions of identical nanochips and create an innovative means of combatting cancer on their basis
