BreakThrough Digest Medical News |
| First-of-its-kind approach nanomedicine design effectively targets cancer with decreased toxicity Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:00 PM PDT
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) are the first to report a new approach that integrates rational drug design with supramolecular nanochemistry in cancer treatment. Supramolecular chemistry is the development of complex chemical systems using molecular building blocks. The researchers utilized such methods to create nanoparticles that significantly enhanced antitumor activity with decreased toxicity in breast and ovarian cancer models.
“This work is effectively moving beyond using nanotechnology as drug ‘delivery’ vehicles to reengineering drugs themselves so that they become nanomedicines.” said Shiladitya Sengupta, PhD, MSc, BWH associate bioengineer, and senior study author. The study is published in this week’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The researchers used cisplatin?a drug of choice for first and second line chemotherapy?as a template. They designed a cisplatin nanoparticle that incorporated various components, namely a unique platinum (II) tethered to a cholesterol backbone, that helped foster an environment that facilitated efficient nanoparticle assembly. The researchers found that the innovative nanoparticles they developed were more effective compared to carboplatin or cisplatin in vitro, and remained active in cisplatin-resistant conditions. “In the last 30 years, there have only been three platins that have been approved for use in almost all cancers,” said Sengupta. “A fourth platin that homes preferentially to the tumor, is more potent, but is safer to use at the same time can have major impact on chemotherapy.” Given that platinum-based chemotherapies serve as the frontline therapy for many cancers, the researchers are optimistic that the increased efficacy and toxicity profile demonstrated by their design may lead to the next generation platinum-based agents in the fight against cancer. ### This research was supported by the United States Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program; Department of Defense Collaborative Innovator grant; National Institutes of Health grant (R01 CA135242-01A2); Charles A. King Trust; Burroughs-Wellcome Foundation; Harvard Ovarian Cancer Spore award; Canary Fund; Mary Kay Ash Foundation; and V Foundation for Cancer Research. Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare. BWH has more than 3.5 million annual patient visits, is the largest birthing center in New England and employs nearly 15,000 people. The Brigham’s medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in patient care, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and its dedication to research, innovation, community engagement and educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving nearly 1,000 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by nearly $625 million in funding. BWH continually pushes the boundaries of medicine, including building on its legacy in organ transplantation by performing the first face transplants in the U.S. in 2011. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses’ and Physicians’ Health Studies, OurGenes and the Women’s Health Initiative. For more information and resources, please visit BWH’s online newsroom. Contact: Marjorie Montemayor-Quellenberg |
| Researchers developing new multiple sclerosis drug that can be taken orally Posted: 09 Jul 2012 09:00 PM PDT The Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded SRI International a one-year grant to develop a novel therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune nervous system disease that affects about 400,000 people in the United States and more than two million people worldwide. There is currently no cure for this disorder, which can impair vision and movement.
The grant, funded through DoD’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, will support the development of an oral drug that targets miR-326, a molecule recently found to stimulate the production of immune system mediators known as T-helper 17 (Th17) cells. Patients with MS have high levels of miR-326, and Th17 is thought to play a critical role in causing MS and other autoimmune diseases. The new therapy will inhibit miR-326 and block the production of Th17 cells. The novel, orally administered drug will be more convenient for patients than currently available treatments. MS treatments today often require frequent hospital visits for injections or intravenous infusions. The new drug could also help patients who do not respond to existing medications, or who experience significant side effects as a result of taking them. “New and more convenient and effective therapeutics for multiple sclerosis are greatly needed,” said Jennifer Lam, Ph.D., a research scientist in SRI’s Biosciences Division who is spearheading the project. “Our research is directed toward the development of a novel oral therapeutic as well as a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to MS.” The project described was supported by Award Numbers W81XWH-11-1-0736 from the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred. ### About SRI’s Biosciences Division
SRI’s Biosciences Division carries out basic research, drug discovery, and drug development, and provides contract services. SRI has all of the resources necessary to take R&D from Idea to IND®?from initial discovery to the start of human clinical trials?and specializes in cancer, immunology and inflammation, infectious disease, and neuroscience. SRI’s product pipeline has yielded marketed drugs, therapeutics currently in clinical trials, and additional programs in earlier stages. In its CRO business, SRI has helped government and other clients and partners advance well over 100 drugs into patient testing. SRI is also working to create the next generation of technologies in areas such as diagnostics, drug delivery, medical devices, and systems biology. About SRI International
Innovations from SRI International have created new industries, billions of dollars of marketplace value, and lasting benefits to society?touching our lives every day. SRI, a nonprofit research and development institute based in Silicon Valley, brings its innovations to the marketplace through technology licensing, new products, and spin-off ventures. Government and business clients come to SRI for pioneering R&D and solutions in computing and communications, chemistry and materials, education, energy, health and pharmaceuticals, national defense, robotics, sensing, and more. Contact: Dina Basin |
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