The world's first guided chemical rocket to deliver a smart bomb – the answer to cancer stem Cells
LIfeSciencesToday based on materials from Deakin University:
World’s first chemical guided missile could be the answer to wiping out cancerMedical scientists at Deakin University, Australia, for the first time in the world have created a chemical "rocket" that targets cancer stem cells.
This achievement brings them closer to creating a "smart medical bomb" capable of finding and destroying the "root" of a cancerous tumor. The use of nanomedicine and molecular diagnostics methods allows us to call the new project a breakthrough in the detection and treatment of this disease.
In collaboration with researchers from India and other research centers in Australia, scientists from Deakin University have created the world's first RNA aptamer, a chemical antibody that acts as a guided missile that finds a cancer stem cell and binds only to it. In addition, the aptamer can deliver drugs to such cells, and it can be used to develop more effective cancer cell imaging systems for early diagnosis of this disease. The work was published in the international scientific journal Cancer Science: Sarah Shigdar et al., An RNA aptamer against a cancer stem cell marker epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM).
Associate Professor Wei Duan, Director of the Nanomedicine Program at Deakin University Medical School, believes that the development of an aptamer will have a huge impact on the methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
"Despite technological and medical advances, the survival rate for many types of cancer remains low, which is partly due to the impossibility of its early detection and targeted therapy," says Professor Duan. "Modern cancer treatment methods destroy the cells that form the bulk of the tumor, but in most cases they are ineffective against the root of the cancer tumor – its stem cells. This suggests that in order to cure cancer, we must be able to accurately detect and destroy cancer stem cells."
Aptamer is the first part of the "smart medical bomb" being developed by scientists.
"What we have created is a 'guided missile' of a 'smart bomb'," explains Professor Duan. "The aptamer acts as a guided missile aimed at the tumor, capable of contacting the cancer root. Now we need to connect the aptamer with a "bomb", a microscopic lipid particle that can carry anti-cancer drugs or contrast agents directly to the cancer stem cell."
A smart medical bomb opens up exciting possibilities for cancer detection and treatment, Professor Duan believes.
"A guided missile and a smart bomb targeting cancer stem cells could revolutionize cancer diagnosis methods," he explains. "The small size of the aptamer means that it can find cancer cells at the earliest stages of tumor development. Attaching radioactive chemicals to the aptamer can help develop sensitive diagnostic scans for early detection and more accurate determination of the location of cancer, more reliable prediction of the chances of recovery and more effective monitoring of the patient's response to treatment. A more precise definition of the type of cancer would make it possible to switch to an individual approach in the treatment of the patient, which would make the treatment more successful and cost-effective. Ultimately, this will lead to higher survival rates and significantly improve the quality of life of patients."
Cancer cells have different characteristics. They can be compared to a tree in which some cells are the root of the system, and others are branches and leaves. If the branches and leaves are cut down, the root of the tree will remain alive. Modern cancer treatments are ineffective in destroying the entire tumor, as they kill only branches and leaves. Root cells are particularly tenacious and resistant to drugs and radiotherapy. They have pumps pumping out anti-cancer drugs. This means that while most of the tumor cells die, the tumor root remains and can regenerate. This makes cancer stem cells the most important target of new treatments.
The project of Deakin University and Indian scientists consists of two parts.
The first is the creation of a guided missile, or aptamer. Aptamer is a chemical antibody, much smaller than conventional antibodies. It is much easier and cheaper to obtain such an antibody than natural antibodies capable of selectively binding to cancer cells.. The aptamer is designed for effective penetration into the tumor and selective binding to cancer stem cells. This rocket will carry a "bomb" - the second part of the drug delivery system.
The "bomb" will be a very smart lipid, or a fat particle stable in the body containing anti-cancer drugs and anti-cancer genes.
A "smart bomb" delivered by a guided chemical missile will be injected into the body and will find a cancer stem cell. Then it will penetrate into it, following the path of the endosome. Once in the cage, the bomb will kill it from the inside, releasing its contents very quickly.
The uniqueness of the system is that outside of cancer cells, the bomb remains very stable, that is, it does not collapse. The whole system is made of materials that are fully compatible with the human body and decompose in it – they are not toxic to other cells of the body and cause very minor side effects.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru21.02.2011