A research team led by Efstathios Karathanasis from the Case Western Reserve University has developed a novel nanochain targeted delivery system that delivers an anti-cancer medicine into hard-to-reach areas of tumor.
Test results on mice and rats proved that this nanotechnology destroyed more number of cancer cells; more effectively hindered the tumor growth; and enabled longer life when compared to conventional chemotherapy delivery. The nanochain delivery system also used a very little quantity of the drug doxorubicin when compared to conventional chemotherapy, thus reducing damage to healthy tissues.
In this novel delivery system, the research team chemically linked a tail made of three iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles to a liposome sphere containing the doxorubicin drug. This tail plays a key role in the system. To create the tail, the surfaces of the nanoparticles were modified so that the particles were able to attach with each other like Lego building blocks. The dosage of the drug in the liposome sphere is merely 5% to 10% of that utilized in traditional chemotherapy.
The research team injected the nanochains into the two rodents containing two different triple-negative breast cancer strains. Once the nanochains moved away from the blood stream and accumulated in the tumor site, the research team placed a solenoid outside the rodent models close to the tumor and passed an electric current through the solenoid to generate a radiofrequency field. This field made the magnetic nanoparticle tails to vibrate, causing the liposome spheres to break and release the drug into the tumor site.
The study results after a two-week treatment confirmed that the nanochain drug delivery system is more effective in treating cancer than traditional chemotherapy. The team also discovered that the drug release rate can be controlled by tuning the radiofrequency that causes the nanochain to vibrate. The team’s next step is to optimize the capability of the targeted drug delivery system to block the metastasizing capability of the tumor and to release drugs rapidly and efficiently. It will also assess the impact of shape and size of the nanochains on tumor penetration and blood circulation.
Source: http://www.case.edu