Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors







Heifer International

Wikipedia Affiliate Button


Home > Press > Protocells – A Versatile Drug Delivery Platform

Abstract:
Imagine it would be possible to transport drugs by a shuttle which would be drawn to the desired destination as if by magic on an invisible thread. Upon arrival, a gate is opened by a specific key and the vehicle can get rid of its precious cargo. This kind of targeted drug delivery would enable controlled and specific enrichment of a therapeutic agent in the tissue or organ where it is actually needed and side effects could be reduced.

Protocells – A Versatile Drug Delivery Platform

Germany | Posted on September 13th, 2012

In traditional drug delivery approaches, only a small amount of the drug reaches the part of the body where it is actually required. It is therefore of the utmost importance to better predict and influence the degree of specificity in targeted drug delivery concepts.

The clinical use of protein toxins like Ricin toxin as anti-cancer agents is often hindered by their immunogenicity which leads to a dosage restriction and represents a significant drawback for their clinical utility. To exploit the valuable features of this class of therapeutic agents, smart and innovative hybrid architectures have to be designed which elegantly circumvent these limitations and fulfill the requirements expected of modern therapeutic agents.

Researchers from the University of New Mexico and from the Sandia National Laboratories present a highly complex system as a versatile delivery platform that may enable protein toxin-based therapies to reach their full potential. The so-called "Protocell" combines a mesoporous silica core loaded with the toxic RTA (Ricin toxin A) with the features of liposomes. The particle core is coated with a lipid bilayer further modified with a targeting peptid for specific delivery, and an endosomolytical peptide for intracellular release.

RTA-loaded protocells show a 500-fold higher capacity for RTA than conventionally loaded liposomes and are stable under neutral pH conditions, unlike the uncoated loaded silica particles or the liposomes which rapidly lose their encapsulated RTA under neutral pH conditions. However, under a slightly acidic pH which reflects the physiological conditions in the endosomal orlysosomal pathway, the total amount of cargo is released within 24 hours.

Due to the coexistence of the endosomolytical and the targeting peptide, only the receptor-positive cells are specifically addressed and killed whereas the viability of other cells is maintained.

Thus, in terms of capacity, stability, and triggered release, these kinds of protocells represent a substantial improvement over conventionally produced liposomes and have the potential to address many limitations of state-of-the-art toxin-based therapies.

####

For more information, please click here

Copyright © Wiley-VCH Materials Science Journals

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

Link to the original paper on Wiley Online Library:

Related News Press

News and information

Aspen Aerogels Announces $22.5 Million Private Placement May 18th, 2013

NanoInk, Inc. Assets To Be Sold May 18th, 2013

Beautiful "flowers" self-assemble in a beaker: Elaborate nanostructures blossom from a chemical reaction perfected at Harvard May 17th, 2013

Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect May 17th, 2013

Nanomedicine

Nanotechnology could help fight diabetes: Injectable nanogel can monitor blood-sugar levels and secrete insulin when needed May 16th, 2013

Nanobiotix Revenue for the 1st quarter of 2013 May 15th, 2013

Pitt Chemists Demonstrate Nanoscale Alloys So Bright They Could Have Potential Medical Applications: “Think about a particle that will not only help researchers detect cancer sooner but be used to treat the tumor, too.” May 15th, 2013

Using clay to grow bone: Researchers use synthetic silicate to stimulate stem cells into bone cells May 15th, 2013

Discoveries

Beautiful "flowers" self-assemble in a beaker: Elaborate nanostructures blossom from a chemical reaction perfected at Harvard May 17th, 2013

Artificial Forest for Solar Water-Splitting: Berkeley Lab Researchers Report First Fully Integrated Artificial Photosynthesis Nanosystem May 17th, 2013

Moth-Inspired Nanostructures Take the Color Out of Thin Films May 17th, 2013

Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect May 17th, 2013

Announcements

Aspen Aerogels Announces $22.5 Million Private Placement May 18th, 2013

NanoInk, Inc. Assets To Be Sold May 18th, 2013

NIA Public Briefing: Nanotechnology and the Council of Europe May 17th, 2013

Scientists capture first direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly effect May 17th, 2013

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE





  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoTech-Transfer
University Technology Transfer & Patents
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More












ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project








abbigliamento uomo
Computer Accessories
© Copyright 1999-2013 7th Wave, Inc. All Rights Reserved PRIVACY POLICY :: CONTACT US :: STATS :: SITE MAP :: ADVERTISE