Targeted cancer treatment

Targeted drug delivery achieved with nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates

Breakthrough using DNA/RNA fragments bound to nanoparticle drug vessels to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells. Trial using prostrate cancer as the target using a nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugate, the nanoparticles were conjugated to RNA aptamers that bind to the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) – a well known marker for prostate cancer which is over-expressed on certain prostate epithelial cells. The bioconjugates successfully and selectively adhered to PSMA-positive prostate cancer cells, while PSMA-negative cells were not targeted. The localisation of the bioconjugates after incubation with the prostate cancer cells and confirmed that the particles were rapidly internalised into the targeted cells.

technorati tags: nanoparticle, cancer, targeted drug delivery