NP-Based Delivery System Development for Brain Tumor Drugs

The impact of nanotechnology is highly likely to extend beyond the boundaries of neuroscience and molecular biology and provide important benefits in neurological and oncological practice. Nanocarrier systems in a variety of materials, including lipids and polymers, offer improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties compared to traditional free-drug delivery.

Figure 1. Tumor targeting strategies using nanoparticles. (Ganjeifar, B., et al., 2021)

We offer nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery system development services for brain tumor

Nanomaterials are increasingly being used in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors. Alfa Cytology can assist our customers in developing NP-based delivery systems as a new approach to treating gliomas and other types of brain tumors.

We encapsulate gene therapy molecules or drugs such as DNA, RNA, peptide nucleotides, dsRNA, and oligonucleotides in NPs or adsorb them to their surfaces. Under the action of cellular uptake particles, the NP enters the cell and releases the gene therapy molecules or drugs to exert their therapeutic efficacy. The size of NPs contained in nanocarriers ranges from 10-1000 nm. In addition, our combination of different types of nanomaterials and their surface modifications can provide unprecedented benefits for the identification, treatment, and imaging of different types of brain tumor diseases.

Types of nanocarrier particles we are developing

Polymeric micelles, dendritic branching polymer nanoparticles, liposome complexes, nanocapsules, carbon nanotubes, nanocrystals, biofilm biomimetic nanoparticles

We are still improving to make our delivery systems even better

• Non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible
• The stability of the source drug is well maintained
• Particle size <100 nm (unless transported via monocytes or macrophages)
• Targeted to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) (receptor or adsorption-mediated mechanism or uptake via monocytes or macrophages)
• Suitable for delivery of small molecules, proteins, peptides, or nucleic acids
• Stable in the blood (no aggregation and decomposition)
• Prolonged blood circulation time
• Adjustable drug release
• Non-immunogenic

Functional imaging for targeting nanostructures

Conventional imaging techniques primarily reflect anatomical changes that distinguish diseased tissue from normal tissue and do not measure the biological processes that lead to disease. Alfa Cytology is developing the use of NPs as molecular imaging (MI) contrast agents to diagnose brain tumors accurately.

Targeted NPs combine high sensitivity and specificity to achieve high levels of accumulation at brain tumor sites. We actively target the therapeutic agent to the target site by binding the therapeutic agent or carrier system to a tissue or cell-specific ligand. In addition, the use of multiple binding sites extended by targeted NPs containing various moieties provides higher binding efficiency for targeting specific brain tumor sites.

Advantages of the NP-based delivery vectors we have developed

• The ability to not only increase drug efficacy but also overcome drug resistance
• Controlled drug release improves efficacy while significantly reducing the side effects of the drug or drug carrier

The nanocarriers constructed by Alfa Cytology have the advantages of lack of immunogenicity, controlled drug release, and low safety hazards. It has the potential to be used in studies for the treatment of glioma. The main direction of our future development is to combine different molecules to modify nanocarriers for drug or gene transport. The aim is to improve transfection efficiency, specifically target brain tumor tissue, prolong retention time and enhance the anti-brain tumor effect. We look forward to collaborating with you in the development of NP-based drug delivery systems for brain tumors. Please feel free to contact us with any collaborative projects you may wish to discuss.

Reference

1. Ganjeifar, B., et al. (2021). "Targeted Drug Delivery in Brain Tumors-nanochemistry Applications and Advances." Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 21(14).