Nano vehicle for cancer drugs ' works'.A NEW inexpensive technology that helps transport cancer drugs directly to tumours has been found to be effective in animals. Scientists at Duke University have created nano- size " vehicles" to deliver cancer drugs to tumours. After transferring the drug to the tumour, the delivery vehicle breaks down into harmless byproducts, the researchers said. It uses protein molecules produced in the bacterium, Escherichia coli Escherichia coli (ĕsh'ərĭk`ēə kō`lī), common bacterium that normally inhabits the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, but can cause infection in other parts of the body, especially the urinary tract. , which is genetically engineered genetically engineered adjective Recombinant, see there to produce special proteins called chimeric chi·mer·ic adj. 1. Relating to a chimera. 2. Composed of parts of different origin. polypeptide polypeptide: see peptide. . When the drug is attached to this protein, it becomes water soluble, which enhances its uptake by cells. Ashutosh Chilkoti, Theo Pilkington Professor of Biomedical Engineering Biomedical engineering An interdisciplinary field in which the principles, laws, and techniques of engineering, physics, chemistry, and other physical sciences are applied to facilitate progress in medicine, biology, and other life sciences. at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, said: " When used to deliver anti- cancer medications in our models, the new formulation induced a nearly complete tumour regression after one injection." Mice with tumours were injected either doxorubicin doxorubicin /doxo·ru·bi·cin/ (dok?so-roo´bi-sin) an antineoplastic antibiotic, produced by Streptomyces peucetius, which binds to DNA and inhibits nucleic acid synthesis; used as the hydrochloride salt and as a liposome-encased , a commonly used drug, alone or its nano- formulation. The first group had an average tumour size 25 times greater than those treated with the nano- formulation. The average survival time for the first group was 27 days, compared to over 66 days for mice who got the nano- formulation. The study was published in the journal Nature Materials. Copyright 2009 India Today Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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