Scientists from the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) and the Pacific State Medical University (TSMU) under the Russian Ministry of Health received a new material for the targeted delivery of antitumor drugs based on a sea urchin skeleton. Research results published in the journal materialsreports Scientific Russia.
Researchers have created a composite material based on the skeleton of a sea urchin. mesocentrotus nudustreated with sodium silicate for greater resistance to dissolution. Experiments have shown that the multilayer honeycomb structure can not only absorb the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) well, but also slowly release it in small portions.
“Drug-loaded nanoparticles can release therapeutic doses of the drug for longer than other systems described in the literature, meaning they can prevent tumor recurrence after resection,” said the lab, which was the principal coordinator of the study. Researcher FEFU Olesya Kapustina at the Institute of Nuclear Technologies, Laboratory of High Technologies and Advanced Materials.
The development of scientists will make it possible to carry out cancer chemotherapy that targets the tumor without damaging healthy tissues. This will help reduce the side effects of treatment.
The most common drug used in cancer treatment is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). It effectively inhibits tumors of the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, pancreas, biliary tract and head and neck. In this case, the drug affects healthy cells, causing a decrease in the levels of white blood cells and platelets in the blood, as well as harming the heart, kidneys and liver.
Ancient Russian scientists suggested A new way to treat arrhythmias.