Russian scientists appear to have discovered a new method of conducting cancer radiotherapy without exposing surrounding healthy tissue to radionuclides. The platform technology is said to enable the delivery of a radioactive isotope into a tumor all packed in a nanoparticle.

What is described as a unique technique is expected to show huge potential for treating a wide range of diseases. Both the radioactive isotope and the carrier nanoparticle are reported to be replaceable.

The solution comes from a collaborative team of researchers from three St. Petersburg based scientific hubs: Peter the Great Polytechnic University, ITMO University, and Academician Granov Research Center for Radiology and Surgical Technology of Russia.

Phase one of what the developers claim were successful tests on lab mice (metastatic melanoma cases) is now over. Some of the animals treated with the new technology have been reported to have completely got rid of their tumors. No leakage of the radiolabeled nanoparticles into healthy tissues and organs has also been proven.

With the technology, nanoparticle-based therapeutic agents can be made in a closed system and in fully automatic mode, which not only eliminates the human factor in production but also reduces health risks for lab staff considerably.