Washington, July 12 (QNA) - A research team at US Rice University has achieved a scientific breakthrough, unveiling an unprecedented and innovative approach to combating malignant tumors by mechanically destroying cancer cells and tearing their membranes apart from within, rather than relying on conventional treatment methods.

The scientists have dubbed the groundbreaking concept "Molecular Jackhammers".

The promising technology is primarily based on aminocyanine molecules-synthetic dyes already widely used in medical imaging.

When exposed to near-infrared light, these molecules begin vibrating in remarkable synchrony at nearly 40 trillion vibrations per second, generating enough mechanical force to rupture the membrane of a cancer cell from the inside.

The study demonstrated exceptional efficacy for the new mechanism, eliminating 99% of cancer cells in laboratory experiments while also delivering highly encouraging results in animal models, where half of the mice with melanoma fully recovered after receiving the treatment.

What sets the new technology apart is that it is fundamentally mechanical rather than chemical.

In conventional chemotherapy, for example, drugs target specific biological processes inside the cell, enabling cancer cells to develop resistance by expelling the drug, altering the biological target or even repairing the damage themselves.

By contrast, the new mechanism relies on tearing apart the cell membrane itself through lethal molecular motion, leading researchers to believe that cancer cells will find it far more difficult to develop resistance to the treatment.

Cancer cells are known for their extraordinary ability to divide rapidly and grow uncontrollably, disregarding the body's natural signals to end the life cycle of aging cells, ultimately leading to tumor formation and the invasion of surrounding tissues. (QNA)