Towards “Smart” Medicines

Ireland has one of the highest incidences of cancer in the Western world. Whether its breast cancer, thyroid cancer, cervical cancer, it’s amongst the most devastating news somebody can receive. A “cure” for cancer is a long way off. But in recent years, treatment has advanced enormously, and more and more people are surviving this devastating illness. Nevertheless, even the most advanced cancer treatments sometimes involve bombarding the body so heavily with chemicals, that many perfectly healthy cells die alongside the targeted cancer cells. However, some absolutely incredible research is taking place around the globe into what are called “smart medicines” - this involves putting tiny, microscopic little particles into the body, which somehow find their way to the nasty cancer cells and kill them! Sylvia Giordani is at the forefront of researching these ‘smart’ medicines, and she has just been awarded a highly prestigious grant from UNESCO to advance her research into “smart medicines” and medical nano- technology. She joins Derek and the panel in studio to explain more…