Researchers at U of T have recently discovered a method of delivering cancer medications or cancer-markers directly into the tumours they are targeting.
Tumours are characterized by leaky vessels with holes roughly 50-500 nanometers in size depending on their stage of development. Professor Warren Chan and his team at the university’s Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering attempted to deliver particles small enough to pass through these holes and remain inside the tumour in order to treat or image the cancer. In order to ensure that these particles would be small enough to enter the vessels, but large enough to remain inside the tumour, the team created a molecular assembly model in which they joined together nanoparticles with dna.
While nanoparticles are thought to contribute to a long-term risk of toxicity in patients, it is believed that combining dna with the nanoparticles could eliminate the risk, as the dna will be degraded by the body’s enzymes, and allow for the safe removal of these smaller particles. Although researchers recognize their work as a possible breakthrough, it is important to note that this research is in its preliminary stages.
