Australian researchers say they have made a breakthrough in the way children are treated for certain types of cancers.

They have created a way to target tumors with medicine without harm to healthy cells.

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the nervous system that often requires aggressive chemotherapy treatment. But doctors say the side effects from the treatment can cause a host of serious health issues that can stay with children throughout their lives.

“Tumor cells are vulnerable to chemotherapy but one of the problems with chemotherapy is that, you know, we do give it systemically, it goes all around the body whether you give it through the vein or a tablet, and we have some normal cells that are dividing,” said Professor Maria Kavallaris, head of the Tumor Biology and Targeting Program at Sydney’s Children’s Cancer Institute. “So, unfortunately, the bystander effect is that these cells also get damaged or destroyed.”

Kavallaris and a team of researchers have figured out a way to target the cancer cells with the life-saving drug without damaging the healthy cells.

“Imagine you plant a flag, tumor cells have got particular flags on them that distinguish them from some normal cells and we can attach antibodies which are these nano cells so when they are circulating they can recognize the tumor cell, bind and get taken up into the tumor cell and release their cargo,” she said.

The technology was developed by Sydney biopharmaceutical company Engeneic.

What makes it unique is the ability to stop the cancer-killing medication from reaching healthy cells.

“You’ve got something that will go directly to the cancer cell, target onto it, lock onto it and get taken into the cancer cell so there is no spilling of the drug all over the place. It just goes to the cancer cell,” said Engeneic joint CEO Jennifer MacDiarmid.

The nano cells are currently being tested in clinical trials and researchers said they could also be used to help with treating other types of cancers.

(Top image: A child with cancer. /VCG Photo)