Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, the University of New Mexico (UNM), and the UNM Cancer Research and Treatment Center, all in the United States, have produced a protocell that uses nanoparticles to blast cancerous cells with a mélange of killer drugs. The protocell is comprised of silica nanoparticles that can store large amounts and varieties of drugs. According to Jeff Brinker, the principal investigator, “The enormous capacity of the nanoporous core, with its high surface area, combined with the improved targeting of an encapsulating lipid bilayer [called a liposome], permit a single ‘protocell’ loaded with a drug cocktail to kill a drug-resistant cancer cell. That’s a millionfold increase in efficiency over comparable methods employing liposomes alone — without nanoparticles — as drug carriers.” Liposomes alone also need specialized loading strategies, while the protocells can be soaked in the drug combinations needed for personalized medicine. The encapsulating lipids serve as a shield that restricts the toxic chemotherapy drugs from leaking out of the nanoparticle until the protocell binds and takes hold within the cancer cell. The particles, which are small enough to float under the radar of the liver and other cleansing organs, can circulate harmlessly for days or weeks, seeking their prey. Carlee Ashley, a post-doctoral fellow at Sandia, said, “Proteins modified with a targeting peptide that binds to a particular carcinoma exhibit a 10,000-fold greater affinity for that cancer than for other unrelated cells. A key feature of our protocell is that its fluid bilayer allows high-affinity binding with just a few of these peptides overall. This reduces nonspecific binding and immune response.” The researchers estimate that their method could be commercially available within five years. Their findings are featured as the cover article of the May issue of the journal Nature Materials. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/nano-treatment/