Boston University is developing a targeted method for delivering drugs directly to cancer tumor cells. Colby and Ekladious are working with polymer-based nanoparticles, originally crafted by Aaron Griset (ENG’10) in 2008, that are absorbed by tumor cells, expand, and release chemotherapy drugs—like microscopic Trojan horses.
The nanoparticles design is comparable to spaghetti and meatballs. Each nanoparticle is composed of squiggly polymer chains, much like spaghetti, that intertwine and compress into smooth, compact spheres. The paclitaxel, or the meatballs, are trapped within this pasta net. When nanoparticles are in a neutral environment (pH 7), they remain stable, but when exposed to a slightly more acidic environment (pH 5), their polymer net loosens, allowing water to enter so that the nanoparticles expand to up to 10 times their original size and release the drug.
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The nanoparticles design is comparable to spaghetti and meatballs. Each nanoparticle is composed of squiggly polymer chains, much like spaghetti, that intertwine and compress into smooth, compact spheres. The paclitaxel, or the meatballs, are trapped within this pasta net. When nanoparticles are in a neutral environment (pH 7), they remain stable, but when exposed to a slightly more acidic environment (pH 5), their polymer net loosens, allowing water to enter so that the nanoparticles expand to up to 10 times their original size and release the drug.
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