Metal oxide nanoparticle for cell lysis

A method of treating cancer using a plurality of nanostructures comprising a MOX nanoparticle having a cancer recognition molecule and a luciferase coupled to a surface of the MOX nanoparticle via a first bidentate ligand and a second bidentate ligand, respectively, the method comprising:

• injecting the plurality of nanostructures into a patient having cancer cells, the plurality of nanostructures injected at a cancer site in a body of the patient where the cancer cells are located, the cancer cells producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP);
• incubating the plurality of nanostructures at the cancer site for a first predetermined time, wherein the plurality of nanostructures selectively bind to the cancer cells via the cancer recognition molecule;
• injecting a light emitting compound into a blood stream of the patient;
• incubating the light emitting compound in the blood stream of the patient for a second predetermined time, the incubating allowing the light emitting compound to be transported to the nanostructures selectively bound on the cancer cells,
• wherein the luciferase catalyzes oxidation of the light emitting compound in the presence of the ATP to produce photons in proximity of the cancer cells,
• wherein the MOX nanoparticles are excited via the photons to generate reactive oxygen species in proximity of the cancer cells, and
• wherein the reactive oxygen species interact with the cancer cells to cause at least one of lysis or apoptosis in the cancer cells.

A method of formulating a cancer treating composition, comprising:

• incubating a luciferase with a first bidentate ligand in a buffer solution at a predetermined pH, the incubating causing the luciferase to covalently couple to the first bidentate ligand, thereby forming a luciferase coupled first bidentate ligand;
• incubating the luciferase coupled first bidentate ligand with metal oxide (MOX) nanoparticles so as to covalently couple the MOX nanoparticles to the first bidentate ligand and, thereby the luciferase;
• and
• separately, incubating a cancer recognition molecule with a second bidentate ligand so as to covalently couple the cancer recognition molecule to the second bidentate ligand, thereby forming a cancer recognition molecule coupled second bidentate ligand;
• and
• incubating the cancer recognition molecule coupled second bidentate ligand with the MOX nanoparticles coupled to the luciferase, the incubating causing the cancer recognition molecule to be also coupled to the MOX nanoparticles via the second bidentate ligand so as to form the cancer treating composition,
• wherein, the cancer recognition molecule comprises a structure configured to selectively recognize a corresponding antigen on a surface of a cancer cell and bind to the antigen, and wherein the luciferase is structured to selectively catalyze the oxidation of a light emitting compound to produce photons, the photons transforming the MOX nanoparticles into an excited state, the MOX nanoparticles configured to generate reactive oxygen species in the vicinity of the cancer cells in the excited state, the reactive oxygen species lysing or causing apoptosis in the cancer cell.