A new method of delivering anti-cancer drugs may help bypass some of the damaging effects of chemotherapy. Using magnetic micro-bubbles and ultrasonic vibrations, scientists have been able to transport and deploy drugs deep into tumour cells.

Scientists at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore developed magnetic micro-bubbles, which were covered with magnetic nanoparticles and embedded with anti-cancer drugs. They injected this whole concoction into the bloodstreams of laboratory mice. 

The magnetisation enabled scientists to steer the micro-bubbles towards tumours and, with ultrasound vibrations, manoeuvre them towards the tumour’s vulnerable area. 

Added ultrasound vibrations caused the bubbles to explode, shooting anticancer drug-carrying nanoparticles 50 cell layers deep or hundreds of micrometres into tumour tissue. The research was published recently in Nature.