Numerous studies have investigated the use of nanodiamonds for targeted cancer treatment. In 2011, for example, Medical News Today reported on how nanodiamonds may be effective in the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant liver and breast cancers.
Ranging around 4-5 nanometers in diameter, nanodiamonds are broadly nontoxic, nonreactive and can carry a wide range of drug compounds, making them an ideal candidate for targeted drug delivery.
However, coauthor Prof. David Reilly, from the School of Physics at the University of Sydney in Australia, and colleagues set out to investigate whether nanodiamonds may also be useful for diagnosis of early-stage cancers.
"We thought we could build on these nontoxic properties realizing that diamonds have magnetic characteristics enabling them to act as beacons in MRIs," explains Prof. Reilly.
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