Comments on: Carbon-Nanotube Cancer Detector Can Catch Even a Single Marauding, Malignant Cell

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:13:09 +0000

So when will they attach these to nano machines that will live in my body and destory cancer cells the moment they are created?

By: Amos Zeeberg (Discover Web Editor)

Amos Zeeberg (Discover Web Editor) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:12:21 +0000

@Georg: Good question, and yes, no cell can get through an individual nanotube. It's the blood plasma that flows through each tube, while the cells flow in the spaces between the tubes. When the liquid flows through each tube, it will tend to bring the tumor cells into contact with the tubes more than when the liquid flows between the posts, as in the older version. The nanotubes are in turn covered with antibodies that preferentially grab the tumor cells that are bumping into them.

By: dave chamberlin

dave chamberlin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:48:58 +0000

You have been on a roll lately with scooping the other science blogs with interesting science news. Congrats.

By: Georg

Georg — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:46:25 +0000

This allows the blood to actually flow through the tubes instead of just around them

Nonsense,
no blood cell can pass through a carbon nanotube! Even peptides (antibodys etc)
will likely clog by filtering.