The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7362 p188
13 August 2005

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Nanocell drug delivery shows cancer treatment promise

Problems delivering chemotherapy to cancer cells along with drugs that inhibit blood vessel growth may be overcome by the use of nanotechnology. Scientists have developed a “nanocell” drug delivery system composed of an inner nanoparticle containing a chemotherapy agent and an external lipid envelope containing an anti-angiogenesis agent.

Using this new technology, the nanocell is preferentially taken up by the tumour where the outer envelope releases its anti-angiogenesis agent causing vascular shutdown, and then the nanoparticle releases the chemotherapy agent.

In tests on mouse models of cancer 80 per cent of those receiving the new therapy survived beyond 65 days compared with mice on current best treatment who survived for 30 days. Untreated mice died after 20 days.

The nanocell was found to have better results in mice with melanoma than in those with lung cancer, suggesting that the design may need to be altered for different types of the disease (Nature 2005;436:568).