Remote Controlled Chemo

Scientists and medical practitioners worldwide continue to investigate drug delivery methods that can improve treatment outcomes in cancer. Nanotherapies were once hailed as a promising approach to mitigate chemotherapy side effects, but they have fallen short in delivering desired nanoparticle concentrations to solid tumors. However, researchers from the Hebrew University and the Instituto de Microelectronica de Barcelona have rekindled hope by capitalizing on tumor-specific structures. Their solution involves the development of biodegradable magnetoplasmonic nanocapsules, known as MAPSULES, which can effectively eradicate tumors via remote-controlled delivery of potent chemotherapy to targeted tumor sites. 

The study, published in ACS Nano Journal, demonstrates the positive therapeutic effect of MAPSULES in mice models of human breast tumors – not only boosting drug action but also minimizing damage to surrounding tissue. Indeed, in vivo trials revealed that tumors were successfully eliminated through intravenous administration at a concentration between 200 and 500 times lower than its therapeutic window.

Results also showed that laser irradiation of MAPSULES could increase therapeutic impact by generating heat locally in the tumor site. How? According to Borja Sepúlveda, researcher at Instituto de Microelectronica de Barcelona and the study’s principal investigator, the metallic iron nanolayer takes advantage of its plasmonic behavior to very efficiently absorb near-infrared light, which has a high penetration into tissues. Using this combination, the researchers can magnetically increase the concentration of nanocapsules in the tumor and amplify the therapeutic effect of the encapsulated drug using an external laser. After the external actuation, the nanocapsules degrade quickly, avoiding problems of bioaccumulation and toxicity.

The findings introduce the first design of a full nano-scale carrier containing large doses of chemotherapeutics with a thin external metal coating. “Creating an ‘Iron Dome’ of sorts for cancer, MAPSULES not only kill cancerous cells, but also protect the patient from unnecessary damage to healthy tissue, thus augmenting cancer treatment outcomes,” says Ofra Benny, researcher at The Hebrew University and study co-author. “With our discovery of MAPSULES’s efficacy, we can advance our solutions and offer a wide range of materials that can be manipulated and activated remotely to support a wide variety of therapies for diseases beyond cancer.”