A nanoparticle capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier has been developed.
Posted by giorgiobertin on May 7, 2024
The researchers of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have developed a nanoparticle capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier. Their goal is to kill primary breast cancer tumors and brain metastases in a single treatment, and their research shows that the method can shrink breast and brain tumors in laboratory studies.
By loading the particle with two prodrugs that target the mitochondria, the cell’s energy-producing center, the researchers showed that their method could reduce breast and brain tumors in preclinical studies.
The new method uses a nanoparticle made of a biodegradable polymer, previously developed by the same researchers, coupled with two drugs also developed in the same lab that target cancer’s energy sources. Because cancer cells often have a different form of metabolism than healthy cells, stifling their metabolism can be an effective way to kill tumors without harming other tissues.
The researchers combined their modified cisplatin, which they call Platin-M to attack the energy-generating process known as oxidative phosphorylation, with another drug they developed, Mito-DCA. , which specifically targets a mitochondrial protein known as a kinase and inhibits glycolysis, a different type of energy generation.
“Nanomedicine is certainly the future of anti-tumor therapies” – say the researchers.
Read abstract of the article:
Simultaneous targeting of peripheral and brain tumors with a therapeutic nanoparticle to disrupt metabolic adaptability at both sites
Akash Ashokan, Shrita Sarkar, Mohammad Z. Kamran,…. et al.
PNAS May 6, 2024 121 (20) e2318119121
Source: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
This entry was posted on Maggio 7, 2024 a 6:30 am and is filed under News-research, Tecno Sanità. Tagged: biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, pharmacology, neurology, oncology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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