Iranian researchers from Islamic Azad University produced new drug nanocarriers to improve breast cancer treatment.
In case the drug passes complementary tests successfully, it can be used in medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers among women. Hydroxyurea (UH) is a chemical that is used for the treatment of this type of cancer in chemotherapy. Efforts have been made in this research to increase the performance of hydroxyurea drug by using nanotechnology and by producing a new carrier. It has also been tried to reduce the undesired effects of the drug as much as possible.
In this research, liposome nanocarriers and pegylated liposome have been produced through reverse phase vaporization process. The nanocarriers are able to carry significant amount of hydroxyurea drug to cancer cells. The toxicity of the produced nanocarriers is less in laboratorial conditions than when the drug is used solely.
Alavi, one of the researchers, explained how the nanocarrier was produced, and said, “The process to liposomate drugs is a new approach for increasing the properties of treatment proteins. In this research, determined ratio of lecithin and cholesterol were mixed, and hydroxyurea drug was added to it later. In order to increase the stability, performance and solubility of the produced nanocarrier, the formulation was pegylated by using polyethylene glycol 2000. Dialysis method was used to study the pattern of drug release from nanoliposomes on breast cancer cells.”
Results of the research have been published in Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, vol. 29, issue 1, March 2013, pp. 84-88.