Source:Iran Daily
Bahman 13-1388
Iranian researchers have created a nanosystem for drug delivery that improves the method to treat cancer patients.
Anti-cancer drugs suppress the growth and activity of cancer cells and gradually destroy them. Unfortunately, such drugs also damage the patient’s healthy body cells. This exposes patients undergoing chemotherapy to severe and harmful side-effects, Iran’s Nanotechnology Initiative Council reported.
Across the world, scientists are working to devise smart drug delivery systems that are capable of targeting cancer cells selectively to minimize damage to healthy cells by applying nanotechnology.
“Nanoparticles made of biodegradable polymers like PLGA were prepared to act as anti-cancer drug carriers. In order to prolong the presence of such nanoparticles in blood circulation and hinder their destruction by reticuloendothelial system and phagocytic cells, pegylation was used,” Rasoul Dinarvand, the head of Tehran Medical University’s Faculty of Pharmacy told the council’s news service.
Binding polyethylene glycol on the surface of nanoparticles acted as a camouflage and prevented phagocytic cells from identifying the drug carriers. As a result, the drug-containing nanoparticles traveled remained longer in the body and increased their chances of encountering cancer cells.
To improve the system’s selectivity, folate molecules, which are powerful cancer cell receptors, were incorporated into the drug delivery structures. And to investigate the efficiency of the system, numerous cell cultivation studies were conducted.
“We are glad that this work may contribute to international efforts for finding the most effective anti-cancer treatment with the least harmful side-effects,” he said.