A Franco-Swedish team of researchers has developed a new molecule that attacks cancer cells under the effect of light. The molecule, derived from a textile dye, accumulates specifically in the cells in question and then becomes toxic on contact with light.
Administered next to a tumor, it would act like a small bomb by destroying cancer cells. This approach has many advantages, explains Cyrille Monnereau, a researcher at ENS. A molecule produced on a very large scale, this could pave the way for a new low-cost therapy to fight cancer.