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Carnegie Mellon scientists develop nanogels that enable controlled delivery of carbohydrate drugs
Date:8/20/2007

loped ATRP in inverse miniemulsion.

The new nanogels, which are nontoxic and biodegradable, can also accommodate molecules on their surfaces. During nanogel synthesis, the ATRP process allows scientists to incorporate targeting groups on the nanogel surface that can interact with specific receptors, such as those on the surface of a cancer cell. In addition, the nanogels can escape the notice of the bodys immune system, thus prolonging circulation time within the bloodstream.

The basic composition of the nanogels is based on an analogue of poly(ethylene oxide), a well-established biocompatible polymer that can enhance blood circulation time and prevent clearance by the reticuloendothelial system, the part of the immune system that engulfs and removes foreign objects from the body, said Siegwart.

In a recent article published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Carnegie Mellon team demonstrated that its novel nanogels could be used to encapsulate doxorubicin, an anticancer drug. When the scientists mixed the doxorubicin-loaded nanogels with HeLa cancer cells in the laboratory, the doxorubicin was released, penetrating the cancer cells and significantly inhibiting their growth. They carried out this work in collaboration with Jeffrey Hollinger, professor of biomedical engineering and biological sciences and director of the Bone Tissue Engineering Center at Carnegie Mellon.


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Contact: Amy Pavlak
apavlak@andrew.cmu.edu
412-268-8619
Carnegie Mellon University
Source:Eurekalert

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