New carrier particle discovered for transporting drugs in body

New carrier particle discovered for drug transport in the body Keystone-SDA

Researchers at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich have discovered particles that can be used to deliver drugs with precision, for example to a cancerous tumour in the body.

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The particles are reminiscent of paper flowers or sand roses and are made of zinc oxide, for example.

ETH Zurich announced on Tuesday that scientists have long been investigating how a drug can be placed in the body exactly where it is supposed to work. The aim is, for example, to prevent the side effects of cancer drugs.

Until now, researchers have mainly relied on tiny gas bubbles to transport drugs through the bloodstream. The Zurich researchers have now been able to show that solid microparticles can also be controlled acoustically. They did this using ultrasound, as these particles scatter sound waves.

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According to the press release, the advantage of “flower particles” over gas bubbles is that the former have a much larger surface area. Larger quantities of active ingredient fit into the spaces between the “petals”. In addition, the particles can be coated with molecules that absorb light. They are therefore easily visible. Their path can be easily tracked.

In a Petri dish the researchers led by Daniel Razansky and Metin Sitti were able to show that the particles can be loaded with a cancer drug. In mice, they used focused ultrasound to capture the particles at a predetermined point in the bloodstream.

Further studies in animals are now planned before this technology can be used to benefit people with circulatory diseases or cancer.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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