Recently, a team of researchers led by Prof. WANG Junfeng, from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a drug delivery system that could make cancer treatment more effective.
Their new material, published in Nano Letters, is designed to improve the way drugs are delivered to tumor cells while reducing side effects.
The team used a bio-inspired approach to create a new type of nano-metal-organic framework (MOF) material. MOFs are known for their ability to carry a lot of drugs and their customizable structures, but they have had problems when used in the body. They often break down too quickly, leak drugs before they reach the tumor, or are not compatible with biological systems.
To solve this, the researchers used bovine serum albumin (BSA), a protein found in blood of cows, to create a new material called BSA@ZIF-8. This innovative design improves the MOF's stability and reduces its size, making it more effective and safer to use in the body. The protein shell around the MOF also helps it stay stable in the bloodstream and release drugs only in the acidic environment of a tumor, preventing unwanted leakage.
When tested with the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, BSA@ZIF-8 showed much better drug delivery performance than traditional MOFs. It was able to release the drug directly where it was needed, in tumor cells, while remaining stable in healthy cells. This targeted approach could lead to more effective cancer treatments with fewer side effects.
This breakthrough provides new insights into how materials can be designed for targeted cancer therapies and opens the door for safer, more efficient drug delivery systems in the future.
Structural properties of (A-F) ZIF-8 and (G-M) BSA@ZIF-8. (Image by Sajid)
![Schematic illustration of (a) the preparation of Mn3[Co(CN)6]2@SiO2@Ag and (b) the delivery process of these Dox-loaded Mn3[Co(CN)6]2@SiO2@Ag to A549 cells for enhanced fluorescence imaging](../../../news/Events/201601/W020160122330206981460.png)
