Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell division, making mitosis a critical target for therapeutic intervention. Nanotechnology offers several advantages in cancer treatment:
1. Targeted Therapy: Nanoparticles can be functionalized with ligands that specifically target cancer cells, ensuring that anticancer drugs are delivered precisely where needed, reducing side effects and improving efficacy.
2. Enhanced Imaging: Nanoparticles such as gold nanoshells and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can enhance imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans, enabling better visualization of tumors and their mitotic activity.
3. Gene Therapy: Nanotechnology can be used to deliver siRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 systems to cancer cells, allowing for the precise editing of genes involved in mitosis, potentially shutting down the uncontrolled division of cancer cells.
