Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: New Nanoparticles Could Revolutionize Therapeutic Drug Discovery

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Abstract:
Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Washington reported that they had developed a toxin-nanoparticle combination that inhibits brain cancer invasion (click here for story) when added to tumor cells growing in culture. Now, the same group of investigators, led by Miqin Zhang, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Nanotechnology Platform for Pediatric Brain Cancer Imaging and Therapy, has developed an improved version of this toxin-nanoparticle construct that, when injected into animals, can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reveal the presence of tumors in the brain.

New Nanoparticles Could Revolutionize Therapeutic Drug Discovery

Bethesda , MD | Posted on August 29th, 2009

This new nanoparticle agent, which Dr. Zhang and her colleagues describe in the journal Cancer Research, is made up of an iron oxide nanoparticle coated with a biocompatible polymer that enables the nanoparticle to breach the normally impermeable layer of cells that separates the brain's blood supply from the rest of the body (the BBB). To target brain tumors, the researchers attached chlorotoxin, a component of scorpion venom that has a remarkable affinity for tumor cells. They also attached a fluorescent molecule as a second imaging agent; the nanoparticle itself effectively boosts magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals. Test results showed that the nanoparticles improved the contrast in both MRI and optical imaging, which is used during surgery to pinpoint a tumor's location in the surgical field.

"Brain cancers are very invasive, different from other cancers. They will invade the surrounding tissue, and there is no clear boundary between the tumor tissue and the normal brain tissue," said Dr. Zhang. The inability to distinguish a boundary complicates surgery, and severe cognitive problems are a common side effect.

"If we can inject these nanoparticles with infrared dye, they will increase the contrast between the tumor tissue and the normal tissue," Dr. Zhang said. "So during the surgery, the surgeons can see the boundary more precisely. We call it brain tumor illumination or brain tumor painting."

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About National Cancer Institute
To help meet the goal of reducing the burden of cancer, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is engaged in efforts to harness the power of nanotechnology to radically change the way we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.

The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer is a comprehensive, systematized initiative encompassing the public and private sectors, designed to accelerate the application of the best capabilities of nanotechnology to cancer.

Currently, scientists are limited in their ability to turn promising molecular discoveries into benefits for cancer patients. Nanotechnology can provide the technical power and tools that will enable those developing new diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventives to keep pace with today’s explosion in knowledge.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
National Cancer Institute
Office of Technology & Industrial Relations
ATTN: NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer
Building 31, Room 10A49
31 Center Drive , MSC 2580
Bethesda , MD 20892-2580

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