Carbon and Platinum in Cancer Treatment

Many people know cancer firsthand, having had or currently experiencing a loved one suffering from the disease. Cancer is an all-encompassing illness that effects every level of one's life. As medical technology changes on an almost daily basis, so does cancer research, adding and manipulating cells via chemotherapy using newer, more effective drugs. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for cancer, but what exactly is it and how does it work to treat cancer?

Carbon

• Carbon, a naturally occurring element, is found in cancer treatment in the form of "nanotubes," so small that thousands could fit into one cell. Carbon works by causing "T cell antigens to cluster in the blood and stimulate the body's natural immune response," according to ScienceDaily. T cells are a type of white blood cell that naturally fights off cancer cells. Carbon, however, must be "targeted" to a certain area to be effective.

How is Carbon Used?

• Carbon nanotubes are "targeted" to attack cancer cells by adding folic acid, or vitamin B. Cancer cells have a large amount of folic acid receptors, making them an easy target for attack. Via this method, a carbon nanontube gains access to the cancer cell. Once the cells are targeted and nanotubes are inside, a laser is used to heat up the carbon, thus destroying the cancer cell.

Platinum

• Platinum-based drugs are the most widely used form of chemotherapy now available. It is used most commonly to treat ovarian, lung, testicular and shows promise in treating other types of cancer. Platinum works by breaking down DNA, which cancer cells can regrow.

Carbon and Platinum Combine to Kill Cancer Cells

• Platinum and carbon have a shared duty in cancer treatment. Once carbon nanotubes are inside a cell, platinum is released and naturally, binds to the carbon nanotubes. Once platinum is drawn into the cell, naturally occurring enzymes convert the platinum into a much more toxic form, platinum II. Platinum II then binds with the cell nucleus and eventually, destroys the cell.

Tips

• Certainly, there is no sure way to destroy cancer cells completely and no guarantee of recovery. As these elements kill the targeted cancer cells, their side effects and possible regrowth of cancer cells make chemotherapy an extremely unpleasant experience. Each person is different and reacts to medications differently. What works for some may not work for others. Trial and error is the most commonly used plan of action when treating cancer.