Researchers from the Penn State Materials Research Institute have developed a biodegradable and photoluminescent nanoparticle that are carried by immune cells to target melanoma. The team’s work was published last week in the journal Small. “The traditional way to deliver drugs to tumors is to put the drug inside some type of nanoparticle and inject those […]
Research & Development
Researchers develop nanodiscs to deliver personalized cancer therapy
Researchers from the University of Michigan have developed nanodiscs that deliver a customized therapeutic vaccine to treat colon and melanoma cancer in mice. The team’s work was published in Nature Materials. “We are basically educating the immune system with these nanodiscs so that immune cells can attack cancer cells in a personalized manner,” senior author James Moon said […]
IntelGenx, Endo Ventures ink development and commercialization deal
IntelGenx (OTCQX:IGXT) said today that it inked a development and commercialization deal with pharmaceutical company Endo Ventures. According to the agreement, the 2 companies will develop a new product using IntelGenx’s VersaFilm drug delivery technology to bring to the market in the U.S. Endo will have certain exclusive rights to market and sell the product in the […]
Researchers develop flexible patch with stainless steel microneedles
Researchers from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a patch that combines stainless steel microneedles and a soft polymer base. The team’s work was published this month in PLOS ONE. “To the best of our knowledge, flexible and stretchable patches with arrays of sharp and stiff microneedles have not been demonstrated to date,” […]
Researchers’ bionic pancreas outperforms standard insulin pump therapy
Researchers from Boston University have developed a bionic pancreas system that outperformed conventional insulin pump therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes, according to a trial conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital. The team’s work was published in The Lancet. This device is the latest development in the race to make an entirely closed loop insulin pump system, […]
Artificial leaf produces drugs using solar energy
Researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology have reportedly developed a leaf-inspired mini-factory to produce drugs using solar energy. The team’s work could allow medicine to be made in resource-deprived areas, as long as there is sunlight. “Theoretically, you could use this device to make drug compounds with solar energy anywhere you want,” lead researcher […]
Study: Laser-activated deep-sea drug kills prostate cancer
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Steba Biotech have reportedly developed a light-sensitive drug derived from deep-sea bacteria that has been shown to kill cancer cells in low-risk prostate cancer patients without affecting healthy tissue. The team’s work was published in Lancet Oncology. Vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy, VTP, utilizes a drug called WST11 which was […]
Researchers use gold nanoparticles to deliver hepatitis C vaccine
Researchers at Brigham & Women’s Hospital have developed electrically activated gold nanoparticles that can bore holes into cells’ outer membranes and allow DNA, RNA and proteins to pass through carrying their cargo. The team’s work was published in Advanced Functional Materials. The team tested its technique using a DNA vaccine against hepatitis C in a mice model. […]
Researchers use nanoparticles to overcome treatment-resistant breast cancer
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have developed RNA nanoparticles that show promise in overcoming treatment-resistant breast cancer. The team’s work was published in ACS Nano. The researchers used a nanocarrier to target HER2-positive breast cancer and stop the production of a specific protein to prevent metastasis and render the cancer cells vulnerable to tamoxifen, […]
Researchers develop nanorockets that respond to changing temperatures
Researchers at Radboud University have developed nanorockets with temperature responsive “brakes”, enabling the carrier to stop in diseased tissues where temperatures are higher. The team’s work was published in Nature Chemistry this week. The nanocarriers can self-assemble to form functional units in any shape. “Our biggest challenge is to provide our nanorockets with various functionalities,” senior author […]