Blood, Heat, and Tumors: Improving Drug Delivery with Gold Nanorods

Blood, Heat, and Tumors: Improving Drug Delivery with Gold Nanorods

Collections: Image Award Winners, Nano-based Drugs

2014 Award Winner

Alex Bagley, Jeff Wyckoff, Sangeeta Bhatia

Koch Institute at MIT

Blood vessels are highways through the body. They can transport drugs to cancer cells, but finding the appropriate ramp to exit the vessel can be tricky.

This image shows a network of blood vessels (green) and collagen (purple) infused with gold nanorods (yellow) inside a living tumor. When researchers heat the particles with near-infrared light, the blood vessels become leaky, making it easier to deliver a therapeutic cargo to its final destination. Because blood vessels provide a universal transport system, such combination therapy has widespread implications for treatment, regardless of cancer type or specific drug needed.

Video

Alex Bagley shares further insight into the story behind his award-winning image.

You can also watch his presentation from the exhibition's opening event here.