The research team has managed to restructure a well-known chemotherapy drug using nanotechnology, increasing its effectiveness in killing cancer cells by 20,000 times without causing any significant side effects.
The research was led by Professor Chad A. Mirkin of Northwestern University, director of the International Nanotechnology Institute. His team conducted experiments on small animal models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – a form of blood cancer that progresses quickly and is difficult to treat.
A research team has reengineered a well-known chemotherapy drug using nanotechnology, increasing its effectiveness at killing cancer cells by 20,000 times.
In this study, scientists fundamentally revised the molecular structure of the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). 5-FU is often used in cancer therapy, but is poorly soluble and highly toxic to healthy cells. The scientists developed a new version of the drug in the form of spherical nucleic acid nanostructures (SNA), in which the drug molecules are integrated into DNA strands surrounding the nanocore.
The results were discovered during tests on a mouse model of acute myeloid leukemia. According to science news site Scitech Daily, the drug, in the form of SNA, demonstrated the ability to penetrate cancer cells 12.5 times better, destroy them 20,000 times more effectively, and slow disease progression by up to 59 times compared to the traditional drug form .
Remarkably, this therapy does not cause any significant side effects and does not harm healthy tissue.
Professor Mirkin said: “This new approach, which can stop tumor growth, is a remarkable advance. It makes chemotherapy more effective, achieves a good response rate and has fewer side effects.”
The research team explained: Thanks to the special nanostructure, malignant leukemia cells naturally recognize and absorb SNA via surface receptors. Inside the cell, the surrounding DNA layer is broken down by enzymes, releasing the active ingredient directly on the tumor and destroying the cell from the inside without damaging the surrounding tissue.
The researchers conclude that the new method could pave the way for next-generation cancer therapies, as well as advanced vaccines and targeted drugs for other diseases. The team is currently preparing to expand the study to larger animal groups and begin human clinical trials in the near future.
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