Red Blood Cells As Camouflage For Cancer Treatment.

Nanoparticles, extremely small man-made structures, hold great promise as cancer treatment delivery systems.  The tiny hollow particles can carry drugs directly to cancer cells.  A stumbling block for their use has been the rapid elimination of the particles from the circulation.  Researchers from the University of California at San Diego have  found a way to hide the nanoparticles by covering them with the outside layer (membrane) from red blood cells.  The cloaked particles last much longer in the body and may work much better as drug delivery devices.