A new cancer treatment involves silica nanoparticles of honeycomb structure. These tiny particles are filled with drugs toxic to cancer cells. This new treatment uses both liposomes and protocells instead of liposomes alone. The liposomes form a membrane to seal the honeycomb cavities, which are filled with toxic chemicals. This membrane is modified with peptides to make the nanoparticle bind to receptors overexpressed in cancer cells compared with normal cells.
The combination of liposomes and protocells works more efficiently and targets cancer cells more efficiently than using liposomes alone. Jeff Brinker of Sandia National Laboratories as well as the University of New Mexico and Carlee Ashley, a Harry S. Truman post-doctoral fellow at Sandia, have developed this approach. It differs from the remote controlled drug delivery system developed by Canadian researchers and from the synthetic nanopolymer coated with cancer drugs developed at Purdue.
Brinker states they are altering the synthesis of the nanoparticles to favor smaller particles. Smaller sizes are capable of working “under the radar” of organs like the liver.
The study has been published in Nature Materials and summarized by Tiffany Kaiser on Daily Tech at:
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