RUSNANOPRIZE 2013: Nanomedicine won
The RUSNANOPRIZE 2013 Award was won by a group of developers from the USA
The Committee of the RUSNANOPRIZE International Prize in Nanotechnology has determined the winners of 2013 in the direction of "Nanomaterials and surface modification". They became Honorary Professor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Robert Langer and Professor of Harvard Medical School Omid Farokzad for the development of technology for the use of nanoparticles in medicine.
Professor Langer and Professor Farokzad have created combined nanoparticles whose surface is covered with biological ligands, that is, molecules that specifically recognize certain targets in the body, for example, the surface of cancer cells. The inner part of the nanoparticle is composed of a biologically inert polymer that binds the active substance, for example, docetaxel, which is traditionally used for cancer chemotherapy. Such particles can circulate in the blood for a long time and are delayed, which means they accumulate only around the tumor cells. On the basis of this technology, in particular, drugs have been created for the treatment of brain tumors that are difficult to respond to traditional methods of treatment.
The developments of the laureates are at the "junction" of biotechnology and materials sciences. Thus, Professor Langer's research marked the beginning of work in the field of biomaterials and the use of nanomaterials for medicine and biology. In addition to developing biocompatible polymers forming controlled-release drug delivery systems and synthetic polymers for tissue engineering, he has created many other new biomaterials, such as shape memory polymers and materials with switchable surfaces.
The winner of the award for the commercialization of the development of Professors Langer and Farokzad will also be the American company Bind Therapeutics Inc., which is developing a new class of highly selective targeted and programmable drugs Accurins (scheme from the website bindtherapeutics.com – VM).
The ceremony of awarding the winners of RUSNANOPRIZE 2013 will be held on November 1 at the Moscow International Forum of Innovative Development "Open Innovations".
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru24.10.2013