Prostate cancer cells treated with nano sized drug carriers

3-dimensional reconstruction of a hollow multi-cellular prostate tumour spheroid (cluster of cells) imaged by confocal microscopy. Cell nuclei in the spheroid are stained with the fluorescent dye propidium iodide (red). Dendrimer nano-carriers (blue) are made of hyber-branched poly-L-lysine polymer and carry the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin (black and red beads inside the dendrimer). They were modelled in imaging software and then artificially inserted into the tumour in this image to give an idea of how they would interact with it. Doxorubicin encapsulated inside the dendrimer is able to penetrate deeper into the spheroid better killing the prostate tumour cells. Diameter of the spheroid is approximately 250 micrometers.