Nanosurgery and the Fight Against Cancer: Major Breakthrough at Polytechnique Montréal

Montreal (ots/PRNewswire) -

Researchers at Polytechnique Montréal have succeeded in changing
the genetic material of cancer cells using a brand-new transfection
method. This major breakthrough in nanosurgery opens the door to new
medical applications, among others for the treatment of cancers.

A light scalpel to treat cancerous cells

The unique method developed by Professor Michel Meunier and his
team uses a femtosecond laser (a laser with ultra-short pulses) along
with gold nanoparticles. Deposited on the cells, these nanoparticles
concentrate the laser's energy and make it possible to perform
nanometric-scale surgery in an extremely precise and non-invasive
fashion. The technique allows to change the expression of genes in
the cancer cells and could be used to slow their migration and
prevent the formation of metastases.

The technique perfected by Professor Meunier and his colleagues
is a promising alternative to conventional cellular transfection
methods, such as lipofection. The experiment, carried out in Montréal
laboratories on malignant human melanoma cells, demonstrated 70%
optoporation effectiveness, as well as a transfection performance
three times higher than lipofection treatment. In addition, unlike
conventional treatment, which destroys the physical integrity of the
cells, the new method assures cellular viability, with a toxicity of
less than 1%. The study's results were published in the prestigious
journal Biomaterials.

This major scientific breakthrough could lead to the development
of promising applications, including new therapeutic approaches in
oncology, neurology and cardiology.

Professor Meunier's team works in collaboration with researchers
from the Department of Medicine at the McGill University Health
Centre. Their research work receives financial support from the Fonds
Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (FQRNT),
the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Canada Research
Chairs program (CRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(CIHR) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

About Polytechnique Montreal

Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada's
leading engineering teaching and research institutions. It is the
largest engineering university in Québec for the size of its student
body and the scope of its research activities. With over 38,500
graduates, Polytechnique Montréal has graduated 25% of the current
members of the l'Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Polytechnique
provides training in 16 engineering specialties, has 242 professors
and more than 7,100 students. It has an annual operating budget of
over $200 million, including a $72-million research budget.

REFERENCE: Baumgart J. et al., Off-resonance plasmonic enhanced
femtosecond laser optoporation and transfection of cancer cells,
Biomaterials (2012), doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.11.062

- Photos of Professor Meunier and his team, as well as images illustrating
the study, are available upon request.
- Website for Polytechnique Montréal's Laser Processing and Plasmonics
Laboratory: http://www.groupes.polymtl.ca/lpl
- http://www.groupes.polymtl.ca/lpl/?q=en/welcome

For further information:

Annie Touchette
Senior Communications Advisor
Communications and Recruitment Office
Polytechnique Montréal
Tel.: +1-514-340-4711, ext. 4415
Cell: +1-514-231-8133
annie.touchette@polymtl.ca

ots Originaltext: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal
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