With an innovative delivery system using nanotechnology, cellular heating, OSU researchers may improve treatment of ovarian cancer
Oregon State University scientists have conducted new research that unveils the use of nanotechnology can wipe out ovarian cancer cells.
Researchers have found that the nano-carriers proved to be effective in killing up to 95 percent of the cancer cells upon entering the site, according to an OSU press release.
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. It is estimated that in 2013, about 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed and 14,030 women will die of ovarian cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
Despite many advances in detection and therapies, a low percentage of patients with advanced stages of ovarian caner survive five years after the initial diagnosis. An aggressive resistance to the available therapies predominantly causes the high mortality of this disease.
Oregon State University scientists have conducted new research that unveils the use of nanotechnology can wipe out ovarian cancer cells.
Researchers have found that the nano-carriers proved to be effective in killing up to 95 percent of the cancer cells upon entering the site, according to an OSU press release.
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. It is estimated that in 2013, about 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed and 14,030 women will die of ovarian cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
Despite many advances in detection and therapies, a low percentage of patients with advanced stages of ovarian caner survive five years after the initial diagnosis. An aggressive resistance to the available therapies predominantly causes the high mortality of this disease.
The development of the new nano-carrier delivery system seeks to combat the disease’s resistance, according to research published by OSU scientists in the “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” on Oct. 17.
The system is based on the use of an iron oxide nano-particle combined with different polymers that are then coated with a chemotherapeutic drug.
At the same time, hypothermia (heating of the cells) is applied using a magnetic field.
In treating cancer, there are two different mechanisms to kill cancer cells: chemotherapeutic drugs and hypothermia. Chemotherapeutic drugs are highly toxic and carry harmful side effects for patients, wherein the underlying problem resides within the delivery of the chemotherapy.
“More and more drugs are administered into the body and the body reacts adversely the exposure to high levels of toxicity” said Olena Taratula, an assistant professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy.
Taratula and her team are one of the main scientists conducting research on ovarian cancer.
“There are many drugs on the market, but the goal behind this research is to develop an innovative drug delivery system that is non-toxic, which can protect the body from the drug and the drug from the body, while delivering it directly to the cancer cells,” Taratula said.
In previous laboratory studies, scientists used the cancer drug on it’s own, wherein 70 percent of the cancer remained en vivo.
Within this new research, a modest dose of chemotherapy-covered nano-particles combined with heating the cells to 104 degrees, virtually all of the cancer cells were killed, according to the study.
Currently, the research is based on treating ovarian cancer cells. Researchers plan to test the nano-carriers on different types of cancers in future research.
The next phase is to perform testing on animal subjects in order to move research closer to clinical studies for humans.
The system is based on the use of an iron oxide nano-particle combined with different polymers that are then coated with a chemotherapeutic drug.
At the same time, hypothermia (heating of the cells) is applied using a magnetic field.
In treating cancer, there are two different mechanisms to kill cancer cells: chemotherapeutic drugs and hypothermia. Chemotherapeutic drugs are highly toxic and carry harmful side effects for patients, wherein the underlying problem resides within the delivery of the chemotherapy.
“More and more drugs are administered into the body and the body reacts adversely the exposure to high levels of toxicity” said Olena Taratula, an assistant professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy.
Taratula and her team are one of the main scientists conducting research on ovarian cancer.
“There are many drugs on the market, but the goal behind this research is to develop an innovative drug delivery system that is non-toxic, which can protect the body from the drug and the drug from the body, while delivering it directly to the cancer cells,” Taratula said.
In previous laboratory studies, scientists used the cancer drug on it’s own, wherein 70 percent of the cancer remained en vivo.
Within this new research, a modest dose of chemotherapy-covered nano-particles combined with heating the cells to 104 degrees, virtually all of the cancer cells were killed, according to the study.
Currently, the research is based on treating ovarian cancer cells. Researchers plan to test the nano-carriers on different types of cancers in future research.
The next phase is to perform testing on animal subjects in order to move research closer to clinical studies for humans.