Bioinspired by tunicates and mussels, a Korean research team has created a “bomb-like” anticancer therapeutic agent that only destroys cancer cells.
The nanobomb produces heat in precise sites where near-IR (NIR) laser is irradiated to create nitric oxide gas, which has an anticancer effect and concurrently discharges anticancer drugs to accomplish the trimodal treatment of photothermal-gas-chemo-therapy.
The POSTECH research team was headed by Professor Hyung Joon Cha and Dr. Yeonsu Jeong (Department of Chemical Engineering) in partnership with Professor Yun Kee Jo’s team at Kyungpook National University (Department of Biomedical Convergence Science and Technology, School of Convergence).
The researchers engineered a photoactivatable adhesive nanobomb with mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) and the catechol-vanadium complex of tunicates that involves light-associated energy conversion through electron transfer. The term ‘photoactivatable’ denotes the characteristic where properties vary based on the external light.
Since cancer manifests via multiple biological pathways, a process that integrates several treatments rather than one single treatment is generally employed. But it is challenging to deliver several therapeutic agents at once to a particular cancer site because of the large amount of fluid found in the human body.
Among such approaches, light-triggered photothermal therapy (PTT) employs nanoparticles of metals, synthetic polymers or carbon. However, their weak biodegradability, which can cause a hazard of systemic toxicity, and low photothermal conversion efficiency — the efficiency at which the captured light is turned to heat — render effective cancer treatment tough.
To this, the researchers developed nanoparticles by incorporating the catechol-vanadium complexes — which help electrons and light travel in tunicates — to the MAP. When these nanoparticles are exposed to the light from NIR lasers, the temperature can be increased to 50 degrees within 5 minutes, displaying exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency of around 50%.
These nanoparticles can be retained on cancer cells for an extended period owing to the robust adhesiveness of MAP. Furthermore, the excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability of proteinic nanoparticles resolve the safety matter of traditional light-responsive nanotherapeutics.
When the nanoparticles comprising a thermo-sensitive nitric oxide (NO) donor and an anticancer drug were irradiated using the near-IR (NIR) laser, NO gas and drugs were effectively discharged due to the photothermal effect, verifying their likelihood for use in a nanobomb.
It is generally tough to retain the anticancer effects of NO gas as it rapidly biometabolizes. However, the nanobomb can regulate the release of gas with light, which significantly raises the delivery efficiency of NO.
In preclinical testing in animal models, the tumor grew back 15 days after being treated with only a single photothemal treatment, whereas the therapeutic effectiveness was extended with trimodal treatments using nanobombs as no tumors were seen for around 1 month.
With a single nanoparticle, various site-specific therapeutic agents can be locally administered and multimodal treatments can be easily controlled with a single stimulus, which will be effective in treating cancer patients in the future.
Professor Hyung Joon Cha, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology
“This nanobomb can be applied not only to photothermal-gas-chemo-therapy, but also to the delivery of therapeutics including genes and antibodies or contrast agents, and therefore can be widely used according to the specific needs of the patient or the condition,” Professor Hyung Joon Cha added.
This research was chosen as the front cover paper of the December issue of Advanced Healthcare Materials, a well-known journal in the domain of materials science.
The research was performed with the support from the National Research Foundation grant funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea, the National Research Foundation grant funded by the Ministry of Education of Korea, and the Marine BioMaterials Research Center grant funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of Korea.
The mussel adhesive protein technology has gone through a technology transfer to Nature Glutech Co., Ltd., and clinical trials will take place after procuring investigational new drug (IND) approvals.
News
How Are Hydrogels Shaping the Future of Biomedicine?
Hydrogels have gained widespread recognition and utilization in biomedical engineering, with their applications dating back to the 1960s when they were first used in contact lens production. Hydrogels are distinguished from other biomaterials in [...]
Nanovials method for immune cell screening uncovers receptors that target prostate cancer
A recent UCLA study demonstrates a new process for screening T cells, part of the body's natural defenses, for characteristics vital to the success of cell-based treatments. The method filters T cells based on [...]
New Research Reveals That Your Sense of Smell May Be Smarter Than You Think
A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience indicates that the sense of smell is significantly influenced by cues from other senses, whereas the senses of sight and hearing are much less affected. A popular [...]
Deadly bacteria show thirst for human blood: the phenomenon of bacterial vampirism
Some of the world's deadliest bacteria seek out and feed on human blood, a newly-discovered phenomenon researchers are calling "bacterial vampirism." A team led by Washington State University researchers has found the bacteria are [...]
Organ Architects: The Remarkable Cells Shaping Our Development
Finding your way through the winding streets of certain cities can be a real challenge without a map. To orient ourselves, we rely on a variety of information, including digital maps on our phones, [...]
Novel hydrogel removes microplastics from water
Microplastics pose a great threat to human health. These tiny plastic debris can enter our bodies through the water we drink and increase the risk of illnesses. They are also an environmental hazard; found [...]
Researchers Discover New Origin of Deep Brain Waves
Understanding hippocampal activity could improve sleep and cognition therapies. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine’s biomedical engineering department have discovered a new origin for two essential brain waves—slow waves and sleep spindles—that are critical for [...]
The Lifelong Cost of Surviving COVID: Scientists Uncover Long-Term Effects
Many of the individuals released to long-term acute care facilities suffered from conditions that lasted for over a year. Researchers at UC San Francisco studied COVID-19 patients in the United States who survived some of the longest and [...]
Previously Unknown Rogue Immune Key to Chronic Viral Infections Discovered
Scientists discovered a previously unidentified rogue immune cell linked to poor antibody responses in chronic viral infections. Australian researchers have discovered a previously unknown rogue immune cell that can cause poor antibody responses in [...]
Nature’s Betrayal: Unmasking Lead Lurking in Herbal Medicine
A case of lead poisoning due to Ayurvedic medicine use demonstrates the importance of patient history in diagnosis and the need for public health collaboration to prevent similar risks. An article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association [...]
Frozen in Time: How a DNA Anomaly Misled Scientists for Centuries
An enormous meteor spelled doom for most dinosaurs 65 million years ago. But not all. In the aftermath of the extinction event, birds — technically dinosaurs themselves — flourished. Scientists have spent centuries trying [...]
‘Mini kidneys’ reveal new insights into metabolic defects in polycystic kidney disease
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have successfully grown 'mini kidneys' in the lab and grafted them into live mice, revealing new insights into the metabolic defects and a potential therapy for [...]
Decoding the Origin of Life: Scientists Solve Early Earth RNA Puzzle
Recent research illustrates how RNA molecules’ chemical characteristics might have played a crucial role in the development of complex life forms. How did complex life manage to evolve on the early, inhospitable Earth? Initially, [...]
Improving infectious disease testing with gold nanoparticles
By harnessing the power of composite polymer particles adorned with gold nanoparticles, a group of researchers have delivered a more accurate means of testing for infectious diseases. Details of their research was published in the [...]
New micromaterial releases nanoparticles that selectively destroy cancer cells
Researchers have developed micromaterials made up only of proteins, capable of delivering over an extended period of time nanoparticles that attack specific cancer cells and destroy them. The micromaterials mimic natural secretory granules found [...]
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough: Scientists Make Revolutionary Leap
Dementia is a major health issue worldwide in the 21st century, impacting over 50 million people globally. This figure is expected to soar to 152 million by 2050, as the global population ages. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [...]
