Tiny Batteries Target Cancer Cells: A Revolutionary Development

1. How does it work?

      (See also the diagram on the right):

• The small batteries are already made, and they work!
• They are minimal and can be injected. There are two types: batteries with “pluses” (positive) and “minuses” (negative).
• First, the “plus batteries" (⊕) are injected into a vein.
• These batteries stick to the walls of the cancer cells because they have a substance on the outside (an antibody called PSMA) that connects to the receptors (R) on the cancer cells.
• After half an hour, the “minus batteries" (⊖) are injected, which also attach to the cancer cells. When both types of batteries stick to the same cell, they produce electricity (e), which was tested in a fluid similar to blood.
• The batteries generate electricity through a substance (enzyme) in the batteries and the glucose in the blood.
• The electricity damages the outer surface of cancer cells. This weakens cancer cells and makes other treatments, such as immunotherapy or chemotherapy, more effective. Sometimes, electricity kills cancer cells directly with the help of the immune system. This treatment has fewer side effects than surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy because these treatments also harm healthy cells, while this method primarily targets cancer cells.
• The batteries are harmless to the body and break down naturally.

2. What are the results so far?

Together with Dr. R. Tomov from the Materials Chemistry Group at the University of Cambridge, we have produced nano-bio batteries as small as 50 to 100 nanometers and have shown that they produce electricity!

3. What are the next steps?

1. Attach the specific substances (antibodies, PSMA) that stick to cancer cell walls to the batteries.
2. Test the nano-bio batteries on cancer cells in a dish.
3. Test the nano-bio batteries on mice with cancer.
4. Test them on humans.

4. We need your help!

We want to demonstrate in the laboratory that the batteries can damage cancer cells with PSMA receptors. In addition, we expect to show within a year that our idea works in the laboratory and mice.
However, we need considerable resources (500,000 €) to achieve this.

Afterwards, we want to prove that these small batteries can destroy human cancer cells.

Please contribute via our ANBI foundation "Nano Iron Ribbon" with the note 'bio batteries'.