Originally published on The Nano Newswire
Researchers at MIT have developed a new drug-delivery nanoparticle that is unique in its ability to successfully target the acidic environment found near almost all types of cancer cells. In the past, drug-delivery nanoparticle designers have attempted to target specific proteins found on the surface of specific cancer cells. However, those target proteins can vary by cancer type, making those delivery systems less versatile. The MIT nanoparticle differs from most other drug-delivery nanoparticles in that its outer, protective polymer layer is designed not only to protect the particle while it travels through the bloodstream, but also to disintegrate in the more acidic environment found near almost all cancerous tumors. The increased acidity is caused by the increased metabolism of the cancer cells. Once the outer layer of the MIT nanoparticle dissolves, a positively charged inner layer is exposed which can then be absorbed into the negatively charged cancer cell membrane, thereby delivering polymers containing cancer drugs or quantum dots that could be used for imaging. Additional layers could also be utilized in this "layer-by-layer assembly" approach, including intermediate layers that could "prime" the cancer cells to be more susceptible to the cancer drugs stored within inner layers of the particle.
While other researchers have experimented with nanoparticles that target the acidic environment surrounding cancer cells, the MIT design is the first to be successfully tested in live animals. It has been estimated that another 5 to 10 years of development may be required before clinical trials can be conducted.
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