BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A nanoparticle-based drug delivery concept in which an applied magnetic field directs the accumulation in tumor cells of custom-designed, drug-filled nanocarriers has been demonstrated by University at Buffalo researchers.

The new approach, recently published in Molecular Pharmaceutics, may lead to treatments that exploit the advantages of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and that have the potential to reduce drug accumulation in normal tissues.

The in vitro results showed that magnetically guided delivery to tumor cells of these customized nanocarriers allowed for more precise targeting, while boosting cellular uptake of the PDT drugs contained inside them.


"This is a novel way to enhance drug delivery to cells," said Paras Prasad, Ph.D., executive director of UB's Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry in the UB College of Arts and Sciences and co-author on the paper.

"The externally applied magnetic field acted as a kind of 'remote control,' directing the nanocarriers to the targeted area in the cell culture," he said.

Once the magnetic field was applied, the concentration of drug inside the tumor cells in the target area increased.

"We have shown that we can use magnetophoretic control to deliver PDT drug to tumor cells, resulting in increased accumulation inside those cells," explained Tymish Ohulchanskyy, Ph.D., senior research scientist in the Department of Chemistry.

The research was conducted with partial funding from UB's New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, which is a major supporter of the nanomedicine program at the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics. Prasad is affiliated with the Bioengineering/Tissue Engineering Team at the Center of Excellence.

"The nanomedicine work by Dr. Prasad and his team has far-reaching implications for a variety of disease areas, including neurological disease and cardiac disease," said Bruce A. Holm, UB senior vice provost and executive director of the Center of Excellence. "The institute represents a key partner with the Center of Excellence."

According to Prasad, photodynamic therapy is one of the most promising treatments for cancer; it's also being investigated as a treatment method for cardiovascular, dermatological and ophthalmic diseases.

PDT exploits the propensity of tumors to retain higher concentrations of photosensitive drugs than normal tissues. When exposed to laser light, these drugs generate toxic molecules that destroy the cancer cells.

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