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In today's world, a simple way to track any place is to navigate with GPS. Likewise, intelligent and traceable drug delivery systems can improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Imaging techniques can help visualize the drug carrier and monitor its delivery to target tissues. However, a single visualization technique is usually not sufficient to accurately track the medication. Indian scientists have now devised multifunctional, intelligent and traceable drug delivery systems.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, have developed a multifunctional gold nanostructure that can be used in imaging and cancer therapy.
Nanosystems can simultaneously transfer the drug and allow imaging of the tumor. However, it is very important to differentiate the drug transport system from the surrounding tissues and the targeted area. Imaging-guided local administration of drugs has been widely used to treat cancer, but it is still very difficult to obtain accurate delivery of the drug if only one imaging technique is used. The design of nanostructures with multi-imaging functionality in which one imaging system can complement another allows for better visualization, assistance and drug delivery.
"We designed a Nano-IRIS consisting of nanorattles of gold surrounded by a layer of solid silica and mesoporous silica. The nanostructure resembles that of an iris of the human eye, "explained Amit Jaiswal, who led the research team, during a conversation with India Science Wire.
The golden nanorattles look like a toy rattle. They consist of a solid gold core encapsulated in a thin gold shell. "Raman reporters" have been loaded into these porous gold nanorattles, which enable tissue imaging by enhanced surface Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
In order to load doxorubicin – a fluorescent anticancer drug – the nanoculture of gold was covered with a layer of mesoporous silica. "Since gold reduces the fluorescence of the drug when it is placed in close proximity, the gold nanocrystal was first coated with solid silica, then with mesoporous silica, on which the drug is charged. This increases the distance between gold and the drug and thus retains the fluorescence of the drug, "said Jaiswal.
Raman imaging and fluorescence confirmed the absorption and landing of the drug in breast cancer cells. The uptake and chemotherapeutic potential of Nano-IRIS have been corroborated by cell death in breast cancer cells. "The most difficult part of the study was the synthesis of such a complex system," said Jaiswal. The group is now planning further studies and is exploring chemotherapy combined with photothermal therapy to improve therapeutic efficacy.
The researchers published their findings in the journal ChemNanoMat. In addition to Jaiswal, the research team included Monika Ahlawat, Ankita Sarkar and Shounak Roy.
Twitter handle: @amrutamorone
(India Science Wire)
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