A group of researchers from the University of Arizona (USA) has developed a new method to manage chemotherapeutic drugs against pancreas and breast cancer in a more effectively and less damage to healthy tissues than standard chemotherapy forms.
In depth
The article, published in ‘Nature Cancer‘, shows that the new formulation of the Paclitaxel drug developed by the research team could help overcome some common limitations of chemotherapeutic drugs, laying the foundations for a new platform for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
“Paclitaxel is powerful and destroys cancer cells, but to release all its therapeutic potential, we have to address its toxicity,” says Jianqin Lu, a doctor, associated professor of the John A. Chair and Frances P. Ware at the Faculty of Pharmacy R. Ken Coit of the University of Arizona.
“That means finding a better way to get the drug to tumor cells and, at the same time, get him to stay longer in them. This platform is based on a technology that modifies the drug to get better to tumors and penetrate them, which improves the administration of the drug and reduces side effects“The researcher added.
Paclitaxel, one of the pillars of cancer chemotherapy, is used to treat a wide range of cancers, such as breast, pancreas, lung and ovary. However, it has disadvantages, such as that it often reaches unwanted places, such as the liver and spleen.
More details
The new administration method, which has been tested in mice, takes advantage of the unique properties of tiny fat bubbles called nanoves, a type of nanoparticle that scientists usually use in drug administration. The team of Lu chemically joined the Paclitaxel to the sphingomyeline, a type of fat found in cell membranes, forming a nanoves.
According to researchers, these structures allow the drug to have a better administration in the tumor and remain in circulation for a longer time, accumulating at the tumor site and less in the healthy tissue.
The new formula, called ‘Paclitaxome’, beat chemotherapy drugs’Taxol‘ y ‘Abraxane‘, also forms of Paclitaxel, in tests against triple negative breast cancer and advanced pancreatic cancer in mice. Subsequently, the researchers made additional modifications and designed an improved formulation of Paclitaxel (CD47P/Aze-Paclitaxome) that resulted in a reduction in tumor growth and greater survival.
“Many chemotherapeutic drugs have poor administration. Paclitaxoma is clinically promising because the system manages the drug in the tumor’s place and prevents side effects. The drug is not eliminated from the system so quickly. All this improves its effectiveness“The study co -author Aaron Scott, Doctor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson said.
To take into account
Thus, modified Paclitaxel also improved the administration of drug combinations to tumors. The researchers tested the combination of Paclitaxel and gemcitabine by inserting gemcitabine in the nucleus of the nanoves. “We analyze different proportions of drugs and then load the best in the nanoves,” explains Lu, adding that “the combination surpassed the joint administration of gemcitabine and ‘taxol’, as well as the combination of ‘Abraxane‘ y gemcitabina“.
In another test, they combined the modified Paclitaxel and the carboplatin drug to prevent the recurrence of triple negative breast cancer in mice, while eliminating the disease that had spread to other parts.
“This strategy can be applied to other drugs and other diseases. A colon cancer model in mice. That demonstrated the generalization of this technology to a series of drugs“Lu said.
The researcher believes that the same approach could be used to administer chemotherapeutic drugs along with immunotherapies, which try to take advantage of the immune against cancer system. Your team is working to collect more preclinical data and better understand platform applications.
“Our goal is to bring this to the first clinical trials in humans. This platform can cover a variety of types of tumors for patients who desperately need better therapies“Scott has ended.
