Injectable Na**particles Turn Off Drug Resistance While Pushing Meds Into Tumors
 

Injectable Na**particles Turn Off Drug Resistance While Pushing Meds Into Tumors
[IMG]http://www.medgadget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/na**device-fights-drug-resistance.jpg[/IMG]At left is the new na**device, consisting of a hydrogel embedded with gold na**particles coated with DNA targeting a gene called MRP-1. At right, the device fluoresces after encountering the target gene sequence.


A tumor’s developing drug resistance is driven in large part by its ge**me, which has mechanisms to protect cancer cells from chemical attacks and apoptosis. Researchers at MIT are using na**particles made out of gold specs surrounded by a hydrogel to turn off tumors’ ability to develop drug resistance by inactivating specific genes.

The researchers tested the therapeutic approach on a*triple negative breast tumor that is **rmally very difficult to treat. The tumor*contains a gene that codes for the*multidrug resistant protein 1 (MRP1) that activates a mechanism within the cell that pushes chemo ***** back out, effectively making the*tumor drug resistant. The MIT na**device has a molecular complement to the MRP1 gene that binds to and blocks the expression of this gene while delivering a dose of chemo drug*5-fluorouracil, destroying the tumor’s defense system while stabbing it with a toxic strike. Within their laboratory study, the researchers were able to shrink*triple negative breast tumor by 90% within two weeks.

Some more details about the tech**logy according to the abstract in*Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:

Our platform contains hydrogel embedded with dark-gold na**particles modified with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-intercalated na**beacons that serve as an ON/OFF molecular na**switch triggered by the increased MRP1 expression within the tumor tissue microenvironment. This na**switch can sense and overcome MDR prior to local drug release. The na**beacons comprise a 5-FU intercalated DNA hairpin, which is labeled with a near-infrared (NIR) dye and a dark-quencher. The na**beacons are designed to open and release the intercalated drug only upon hybridization of the DNA hairpin to a complementary target, an event that restores fluorescence emission due to na**beacons conformational reorganization.

Study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Implantable hydrogel embedded dark-gold na**switch as a thera**stic probe to sense and overcome cancer multidrug resistance…

Source:*MIT…

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