Mark Warner, the Annenberg professor in anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, gave a keynote speech on nanocrystals as part of the New Zealand anaesthesia annual scientific meeting, at the Glenroy Auditorium in Dunedin this week.
It is a week-long event hosted by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists.
Prof Warner said nanocrystal technology could not only be used in the treatment of cancer tumours, but also as a means of reducing or eliminating the risk of common illnesses, such as appendicitis, that can be deadly for people who were far from access to medical treatment.
He described nanocrystals as tiny microscopic balls that could be filled with drugs.
A patient could swallow magnetised nanocrystals and a magnetic resonance scanner could be used to direct the nanocrystals to the tumour.
An energy source such as ultrasound could then be used to break open the nanocrystals to release the drug so it can treat the tumour.
While the technology was very much in its infancy, he said it was already being used effectively in medicine.
''It provides huge opportunities to deliver medications exactly where and how we want them delivered.
''The best example is the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer directly into the tumour, thus avoiding the need for surgery to remove the tumour and reducing the extent, length and cost of treatment, as well as reducing debilitating side effects.''
Conventional chemotherapy spreads its effects more widely, damaging healthy parts of the body, with the most obvious side effects being hair loss, nausea, lack of appetite and peripheral nerve pain, he said.
Using nanocrystals, chemotherapeutic agents could be delivered precisely into tumours and then released, preventing damage to the rest of the body.
''This won't work for every cancer and in every situation but it has great potential and its promise is already being realised.
''Another experimental use of nanocrystals is for individuals going into very isolated environments such as space travel, winter in Antarctica and some unique military situations, where you don't want them having illnesses that require urgent treatment.''
He said tests were now being conducted, using ordinary household bleach, to eliminate the risk of appendicitis.
''The individual swallows bleach-filled nanocrystals that are then directed to accumulate in the appendix where the bleach is released.
''It sterilises the inside of the appendix, causing inflammation that leads to scarring.
''This closes off the appendix, preventing any bacteria from getting in to cause infection.''
Because it no longer served any function, the appendix shrivelled up and was absorbed by the body.
Prof Warner said the technique was being trialled on some people going to the Antarctic over the winter season. Despite the trials, he said the medical profession had barely begun to explore nanotechnology's potential.
The conference ends today.
