TEHRAN (INIC)- Iranian researchers managed to create a type of drug delivery nanosystem which improves the methods to cure cancer patients.

Anti-cancer drugs suppress cancer cells’ growth and activity and gradually destroy them. Unfortunately such drugs also obliterate patient’s natural body cells. This fact exposes patients who undergo chemotherapy to severe and harmful side-effects.

Accordingly, scientists are working to devise smart drug delivery systems that are capable of aiming cancer cells selectively to minimize damages to healthy cells by applying nanotechnology.

“Nanoparticles made of biodegradable polymers like PLGA were prepared to act as anti-cancer drug carriers. In order to longer the presence time of such nanoparticles in blood circulation and hinder their destruction by reticuloendothelial system and phagocytic cells the method of pegylation was used," Rassoul Dinarvand, head of Faculty of Pharmacy at Tehran University of Medical Sciences said to the News Service of Iran Nanotechnology Intiative Council (INIC).

Binding polyethylene glycol bonds upon nanoparticles’ surfaces acted as a disguise and made phagocytic cells unable to identify the drug carriers. As a result, the drug-containing nanoparticles traveled through the body for longer times and the chances for them to encounter cancer cells rose, Dinarvand added.

To improve the system selectivity, folate molecules, which are powerful cancer cell receptors, were incorporated into the drug delivery structures. Also, to investigate the efficiency of the system, cell cultivation studies with different cancer cell levels were conducted.

“We are glad that this work may contribute to the international efforts towards realization of the most effective with the least harmful side effects anti-cancer treatment,” he reiterated.

For detailed information on this research work please consult the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, volume 17, pages 246 to 256, 2009.