UIC-2009-026 – New Nanotechnological Targeting System for Tumor Cells

The intricate requirements for successful drug carriers include a size limitation of 50 – 200 nm in diameter in order to have prolonged and elevated levels in the blood stream, while being able to selectively diffuse into the tumor tissue. The limitations for active targeting of tumor cells, which exploits specific ligand-receptor interactions between the vector and the cancer cell, are even more stringent; the drug carrier must be 1 – 10 nm in diameter to facilitate cellular uptake, and have conformational flexibility to enhance targeting efficiency. UIC researchers have developed a new hybrid drug delivery system incorporating both passive and active targeting of tumor cells into a nanohybrid wherein both activities are optimized. The targeting capabilities are utilized sequentially: passive targeting accumulates the nanohybrid at tumor sites, and active targeting is used to deliver drugs to the cancer cells. This new technology provides a simple process for producing aggregation-stable, polymer-encapsulated colloid dispersions, a process for preparing small particles from amphiphillic copolymers that are capable of maintaining stability or targeting specific molecules, and a means of controlling colloidal stability. In addition, these nanoparticles are receptive to being mixed with other additives for a wide range of uses. Nelson Grihalde grihalde@otm.uic.edu 312-996-4129