May 31, 2012 | |
Using chitosan core-shell nanoparticle for breast cancer treatment |
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(Nanowerk News) Researchers at National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) and King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) have successfully developed a target drug delivery system using folate-conjugated pluronic F127/chitosan core-shell nanoparticles to deliver doxorubicin (DOX) to target cancer cells focusing on breast cancer. | |
Dr. Nuttaporn Pimpha "DOX is one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment including breast cancer. However, DOX is also considered a poor soluble drug that is toxic to healthy tissues" said Dr. Nuttaporn Pimpha, a NANOTEC researcher at Hybrid Nanostructure and Nanocomposite. "By using core-shell nanoparticles from folate-conjugated pluronic F127/chitosan we were able to develop a delivery vector that has greater targeting ability, chemical stability and lower cytotoxicity". As in many developing countries, cancer in Thailand is becoming a significant health problem. Cervix and breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Thai women. The only commercial DOX – encapsulated liposome available is Doxil. However, Doxil has a short half-life in microcirculation and is unstable in the blood stream. Hence there is a need to find a more controlled and stable DOX carrier system. The researchers reported their work in a paper published by the Journal of Nanomaterials ("Preparation of Folate-Conjugated Pluronic F127/Chitosan Core-Shell Nanoparticles Encapsulating Doxorubicin for Breast Cancer Treatment"). |
Source: NANOTEC |