Nanoparticles provide 3 drugs at the same time

Scientists have succeeded in creating nanoparticles that provide one or two drugs for chemotherapy when treating cancer.

Artwork: smartplanet.com

An article in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) said that MIT chemists have devised ways to create nanoparticles that can transfer 3 or more different active ingredients. Current tests are at the same time taking 3 types of medications to treat ovarian cancer.

Overall, a building block consists of three components: a drug molecule, a link unit that can be connected to other blocks and a chain of polyethylene glycol (PEG) that helps protect the particles from decomposition in the body. . According to JACS, researchers created nanoparticles that carry cancer treatment drugs: cisplatin, doxorubicin and camptothecin.

Each drug has its own release mechanism. Cisplatin will be released as soon as the seed enters the diseased cell through exposure to glutathione. Camptothecin is also rapidly activated when the enzyme enamel esteraza is encountered. The third drug, doxorubicin, is activated only when ultraviolet light is applied to the particle. When all three drugs work together, PEG will easily biodegrade.