Tiny silica particles show surprising promise in stopping tumor growth

Cancer remains one of the most difficult diseases to treat because every case can be different, and tumors often behave in unpredictable ways. One new direction to improve treatments is to design better testing models and create smarter ways of delivering medicine directly to tumors. A recent study shows that very small, stable, mesoporous silica particles, known as mesoporous silica nanoparticles, which are tiny porous materials designed to hold and release drugs, can successfully build up in tumors in two different testing systems. This suggests they could one day be used to carry medicines straight to cancer cells.

The research was carried out by scientists led by Professor Fuyuhiko Tamanoi and Dr. Kotaro Matsumoto. The team is affiliated with Kyoto University in Japan. Their findings are published in the peer-reviewed journal Cells.

To perform the study, Professor Tamanoi’s team used both mice and a chicken egg–based model called the chorioallantoic membrane model, which utilizes the thin, blood vessel–rich membrane inside a developing egg that can support tumor growth. The chicken egg model is especially useful because tumors grow quickly in it, making experiments faster and less expensive. By transplanting different types of cancer cells, including bone cancer cells taken from patients, the researchers were able to show that tumors in the chicken egg system developed in ways that closely resembled real human cancers.

One of the most important findings was that the specially designed silica particles—made to be tiny, well dispersed, and very stable—were able to concentrate inside tumors in both the chicken egg and mouse models. This meant that fewer particles spread into healthy organs such as the liver or kidney. Keeping the particles out of healthy organs is critical to lowering side effects from cancer treatments. As Professor Tamanoi explained, “These results point to the usefulness of the chorioallantoic membrane model for patient-derived cancer cells as well as for evaluating drug carriers for tumor targeting”.

Professor Tamanoi’s team also discovered that particles with a weaker positive charge accumulated themselves to tumors more effectively than particles with a stronger charge. The electric charge on the surface of nanoparticles affects how they localize selectively in the tumor. Within a single day, the particles built up in tumor tissue at levels about five times higher than earlier measurements, showing they were stable in the body and circulated long enough to reach the tumor. According to Dr. Matsumoto, “The small-size, highly dispersive mesoporous silica nanoparticles exhibit excellent tumor accumulation in both the chorioallantoic membrane and mouse models”.

These findings are important because they show that the chicken egg model is a fast and reliable way to test new approaches, while also demonstrating the promise of these silica particles as delivery vehicles for cancer medicine. By connecting practical testing models with advanced nanotechnology, which is the use of extremely small materials to solve medical problems, the study points toward more personalized and effective cancer treatments that may one day reduce side effects and improve survival.

In summary, Professor Tamanoi’s research highlights two major steps forward. First, it expands the chicken egg model to include tumors grown from patient-derived cancer cells. Second, it confirms that these specially made silica particles can successfully gather inside tumors in both chicken egg and mouse models. Together, these advances suggest a future where treatments can be tested more quickly and medicines can be delivered more precisely, helping patients receive better care.

Journal Reference

Komatsu A., Higashi Y., Lin C.-K., Chen Y.-P., Wu S.-H., Suzuki M., Matsumoto K., Tamanoi F. “Accumulation of Small-Size, Highly Dispersive Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles in a Tumor in Both Chorioallantoic Membrane and Mouse Models.” Cells, 2025; 14(10): 734. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14100734

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