StemCell Therapy

The global nanomedicine market size was estimated at USD XX billion in 2017. Technological advancements coupled with relevant applications in early disease diagnosis, preventive intervention, and prophylaxis of chronic as well as acute disorders is expected to bolster growth in this market.

Nanotechnology involves the miniaturization of larger structures and chemicals at nanometric scale which has significantly revolutionized drug administration, thus influencing adoption of the technology through to 2022.

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Expected developments in nanorobotics owing to the rise in funding from the government organizations is expected to induce potential to the market. Nanorobotics engineering projects that are attempting to target the cancer cells without affecting the surrounding tissues is anticipated to drive progress through to 2022.

Ability of the nanotechnology to serve in diagnostics as well as the therapeutic sector at the same time as a consequence of its characteristic principle to is anticipated to augment research in this sector. Furthermore, utilization of DNA origami for healthcare applications is attributive for the projected growth.

The global nanomedicine market is segmented based on modality, application, indication, and region. Based on application, it is classified into drug delivery, diagnostic imaging, vaccines, regenerative medicine, implants, and others.

On the basis of indication, it is categorized into oncological diseases, neurological diseases, urological diseases, infectious diseases, ophthalmological diseases, orthopedic disorders, immunological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and others. Based on modality, it is bifurcated into treatments and diagnostics.

This report studies sales (consumption) of Nanomedicine in Europe market, especially in Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Benelux and Spain, focuses on top players in these countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these Countries, the top player coveringAffilogicLTFNBergmannstrostGrupo PraxisBiotechrabbitBraccoMaterials Research?CentreCarlina technologiesChemConnectionCIC biomaGUNECIBER-BBNContiproCristal TherapeuticsDTIEndomagneticsFraunhofer ICT-IMMTecnaliaTeknikerGIMACIMDEAIstec CNRSwedNanoTechVicomtechVITO NV

The global market is driven by emerging technologies for drug delivery, increase in adoption of nanomedicine across varied applications, rise in government support & funding, growth in need for therapies with fewer side effects, and cost-effectiveness of therapies. However, long approval process and risks associated with nanomedicine (environmental impacts) restrain the market growth.

In addition, increase in out-licensing of nanodrugs and growth of healthcare facilities in emerging economies are anticipated to provide numerous opportunities for the market growth.

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New report shares details about Europe's nanomedicine market - WhaTech

Space travel can cause a lot of stress on the human body as the change in gravity, radiation and other factors creates a hostile environment. While much is known about how different parts of the body react in space, how lungs are affected by spaceflight has received little attention until now, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Houston Methodist Research Institute.

That will change, though, once their research project, which aims to grow lungs in space, reaches the International Space Station. UTMB and HMRI researchers say what they learn from the study could have real implications for astronauts, as well as those still on Earth, and could lead to future therapeutics.

We know a lot about what happens in space to bones, muscle, the heart and the immune system, but nobody knows much about what happens to the lungs, said Joan Nichols, a professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, and associate director for research and operations for the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB. We know that there are some problems with lungs in space flight, but that hasnt been closely looked into. We hope to find out how lung cells react to the change in gravity and the extreme space environment, and then that can help us protect astronauts in space, as well as the lungs of regular people here on Earth.

This investigation represents the third of four collaborative projects currently active at the HMRIs Center for Space Nanomedicine. The center, directed by Alessandro Grattoni, chairman and associate professor of the Department of Nanomedicine at HMRI, focuses on the investigation of nanotechnology-based strategies for medicine on Earth and in space. The research is supported by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, NASA and HMRI.

Scientists from UTMB and HMRI prepared bioreactor pouches that include lung progenitor and stem cells and pieces of lung scaffolding. The scaffolding is the collagen and elastin frame on which lung cells grow. Space X successfully launched the payload containing these pouches Aug. 14 on its 12th Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-12) from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrived at the International Space Station Aug. 16. On the ISS, the cells are expected to grow on the scaffold in a retrofitted bioreactor.

Once the lung cells have returned to Earth, researchers will look for the development of fibrosis, the structure of the tissues and the response of immune cells, among other changes and damage that could occur to the lung cells. Lung injuries have been found to accelerate in space, and it is through close study of those cells that therapeutics hopefully could be developed.

Nichols and Dr. Joaquin Cortiella, a professor and director of the Lab of Tissue Engineering and Organ Regeneration at UTMB, have successfully grown lungs in their lab in Galveston, but now they will see if astronauts can do the same in zero gravity. Jason Sakamoto, affiliate professor and former co-chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at HMRI, has applied his novel organ decellularization process and nanotechnology-based delivery systems to support this overall lung regeneration effort.

We have experience working with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to study our nanotechnologies in action on the International Space Station, Grattoni said. However, we are extremely excited to be a part of this clinical study, since it may play a pivotal role in how we approach future space travel in terms of preserving astronaut health. What we learn during this fundamental experiment could lead to science-fiction-like medical advancements, where organ regeneration becomes a reality in both deep space and here on Earth.

Researchers at HMRI will take the results from UTMB and work on developing therapeutics that could help astronauts, as well as people on Earth.

This exploration will provide fundamental insight for the collaborative development of cell-based therapies for autoimmune diseases, hormone deficiencies and other issues, Grattoni said.

Excerpt from:
Lungs in Space - Texas Medical Center (press release)

Early phase Northwestern Medicine research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has demonstrated a potential new therapeutic strategy for treating deadly glioblastoma brain tumors.

The strategy involves using lipid polymer-based nanoparticles to deliver molecules to the tumors, where the molecules shut down key cancer drivers called brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs).

BTICs are malignant brain tumor populations that underlie the therapy resistance, recurrence and unstoppable invasion commonly encountered by glioblastoma patients after the standard treatment regimen of surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy, explained the studys first author, Dou Yu, MD, PhD, research assistant professor of Neurological Surgery.

Using mouse models of brain tumors implanted with BTICs derived from human patients, the scientists injected nanoparticles containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) short sequences of RNA molecules that reduce the expression of specific cancer-promoting proteins directly into the tumor. In the new study, the strategy stopped tumor growth and extended survival when the therapy was administered continuously through an implanted drug infusion pump.

This major progress, although still at a conceptual stage, underscores a new direction in the pursuit of a cure for one of the most devastating medical conditions known to mankind, said Yu, who collaborated on the research with principal investigator Maciej Lesniak, MD, Michael J. Marchese Professor of Neurosurgery and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery.

Glioblastoma is particularly difficult to treat because its genetic makeup varies from patient to patient. This new therapeutic approach would make it possible to deliver siRNAs to target multiple cancer-causing gene products simultaneously in a particular patients tumor.

In this study, the scientists tested siRNAs that target four transcription factors highly expressed in many glioblastoma tissues but not all. The therapy worked against classes of glioblastoma BTICs with high levels of those transcription factors, while other classes of the cancer did not respond.

This paints a picture for personalized glioblastoma therapy regimens based on tumor profiling, Yu said. Customized nanomedicine could target the unique genetic signatures in any specific patient and potentially lead to greater therapeutic benefits.

The strategy could also apply to other medical conditions related to the central nervous system not just brain tumors.

Degenerative neurological diseases or even psychiatric conditions could potentially be the therapeutic candidates for this multiplexed delivery platform, Yu said.

Before scientists can translate this proof-of-concept research to humans, they will need to continue refining the nanomedicine platform and evaluating its long-term safety. Still, the findings from this new research provide insight for further investigation.

Nanomedicine provides a unique opportunity to advance a therapeutic strategy for a disease without a cure. By effectively targeting brain tumor-initiating stem cells responsible for cancer recurrence, this approach opens up novel translational approaches to malignant brain cancer, Lesniak summed up.

This article has been republished frommaterialsprovided by Northwestern University. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference

Dou Yu, Omar F. Khan, Mario L. Suv, Biqin Dong, Wojciech K. Panek, Ting Xiao, Meijing Wu, Yu Han, Atique U. Ahmed, Irina V. Balyasnikova, Hao F. Zhang, Cheng Sun, Robert Langer, Daniel G. Anderson, Maciej S. Lesniak. Multiplexed RNAi therapy against brain tumor-initiating cells via lipopolymeric nanoparticle infusion delays glioblastoma progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201701911 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701911114

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siRNA Treatment for Brain Cancer Stops Tumor Growth in Mouse Model - Technology Networks

Empas multicellular model, which is mimicking the placental barrier: a core of connective tissue cells, surrounded by trophoblast cells. Credit: Empa

An Empa team has succeeded in developing a new three-dimensional cell model of the human placental barrier. The "model organ" can quickly and reliably deliver new information on the intake of substances, such as nano-particles, by the placental barrier and on any possible toxic effects for the unborn child. This knowledge can also be used in the future for the development of new approaches to therapy during pregnancy.

During its development, the foetus is extremely susceptible to toxic substances. Even the tiniest doses can cause serious damage. In order to protect the unborn child,one of the tasks of the placenta is to act as a barrier to "filter out" harmful substances, while at the same time providing the foetus with the nutrients it needs. In recent years, however, evidence has increasingly suggested that the placental barrier is not 100 percent effective and that nano-particles are actually able to penetrate it.

Nano-particles are being used in ever more varied areas of our lives. They are used, for example, in sun creams to protect against sunburn; they are used in condiments to stop them getting lumpy; they are used to make outdoor clothing waterproof and they are likely to be used in the future to transport medicines to their rightful destinations in the body . "At the moment, pregnant women are not being exposed to problematic amounts of nano-particles, but in the future that could well happen due to the ever increasing use of these tiny particles," suggests Tina Buerki of the "Department of Particles-Biology Interactions."

In order to ensure the safe development of nano-particles in the most diverse areas of application, their absorption mechanism at the placental barrier and their effect on the mother, foetus and placenta itself must be looked at more closely. It is the size, charge, chemical composition and shape of the nano-particles that could have an influence on whether they actually penetrate the placental barrier and, if so, in what way they are able to do so. At the moment, however, this research is only in its infancy. Since the function and structure of the human placenta is unique, studies undertaken on pregnant mammals are problematic and often inconclusive. Traditional models of the human placental barrier are either very time consuming to construct, or are extremely simplified.

A 3-D model of the human placental barrier

Tests of this nature are best carried out on donated placentas that become available after childbirth by Caesarean section. The organs are connected as quickly as possible to a perfusion system and this ensures the tissue is provided with nutrients and oxygen. This model is, indeed, the most accurate, i.e. the most clinically relevant. It is, however, very technically demanding and, moreover,restricted to a perfusion time window of six to eight hours. Against that, such placentas can be used to reliably test the ability of any given nano-particle to penetrate the placental barrier. The model does not, however, yield any information on the mechanism used by the particle to penetrate this complex organ.

Researchers are therefore tending to fall back on the use of simple cell cultures and other modelling systems. An individual cell, possibly taken from the epithelium and subsequently cultivated and propagated in a petri dish, is perfectly suited to a whole range of different experiments. However, researchers cannot be certain that the cells in the petri dish will ultimately behave like those in the human body. The new model that the Empa team under Tina Buerki described in the scientific journal Nanoscale at the end of last year is, by contrast, three-dimensional and consists of more than one cell type. The cells exist in a tissue-like environment analogous to the placenta and can be experimented on for a longer period of time.

Golden test candidate

In order to create the model, the research team used the "hanging drop" technology developed by Insphero AG. This technology allows models to be created without "scaffolding," which can hinder free access of the nano-particles to the cells in the subsequent transport tests. Rather than introducing the cells in a flat petri dish, a special device, in which the cells in the hanging drops combine to form spherical micro-tissue, is used. The resulting micro-tissue mimics the human placenta much more closely than cells cultivated on a "rigid" culture dish. Experiments can be carried out much more quickly using the 3-D model than with the real placenta and, significantly, on the most widely differing types of nano-particle. In this way, those nano-particles that show potentially toxic effects or demonstrate desirable transport behaviour can be efficiently pre-selected and the results verified using a real placenta.

The model has already proved itself in a second study, which the team has just published in the scientific journal Nanomedicine. Buerki's team has come up with an absorption mechanism for gold particles that could be used in a range of medicinal applications. The Empa team looked at gold particles of various sizes and different surface modifications. In accordance with the results of other studies, the researchers discovered that small gold particles were able to penetrate the placental barrier more easily. In addition, fewer particles passed through the barrier if they were carrying polyethylene glycol (PEG) on their surfaces. These are chain-forming molecules that almost completely envelope the particles. PEG is often used in medicine to allow particles and other small structures to travel "incognito" in the body, thus preventing them being identified and removed by the immune system. "It therefore appears possible to control the movement of nano-particles through the placenta by means of their properties," Buerki explains.

Medicines for pregnant women that do not harm the child

Empa's research team is keen to further develop this 3-D model in the future. The team is hoping to augment the model using a dynamic component. This would, for example, mean introducing the micro-tissue in a micro-fluid system able to simulate blood circulation in the mother and child. Another approach would be to combine the model of the placenta with other models. "With the model of a foetus, for example," Buerki suggests. In this way, complex organ interactions could also be incorporated and it would be possible, for example, to discover whether the placenta releases foetus-damaging substances as a reaction to certain nano-particles.

"With these studies, we are hoping to lay the foundations for the safe but nevertheless effective use of nano-medicines during pregnancy," Buerki continued. If we understand the transport mechanisms of nano-materials through the placental barrier well enough, we believe we can develop new carrier systems for therapeutic agents that can be safely given to pregnant women. This is because many women are forced to take medicines even during pregnancy patients suffering from epilepsy or diabetes, for example, or patients that have contracted life-threatening infections. Nano-carriers must be chosen which are unable to penetrate the placental barrier. It is also possible, for example, to provide such carriers with "address labels," which ensure that the medicine shuttle is transported to the correct organ i.e. to the diseased organ and is unable to penetrate the placenta. This would allow the medicine to be released first and foremost into the mother. Consequently, the amounts absorbed by the foetus or embryoand therefore the risk to the unborn child are significantly reduced.

Explore further: New placenta model could reveal how birth defect-causing infections cross from mom to baby

Continued here:
Medication for the unborn baby - Medical Xpress

For cancer patients, understanding the odds of a treatments success can be bewildering. The same drug, applied to the same type of cancer, might be fully successful on one persons tumour and do nothing for another one. Physicians are often unable to explain why.

Now, U of T Engineering researchers are beginning to understand one of the reasons.Abdullah Syed and Shrey Sindhwani, both PhD candidates,and their colleagues at the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) have created a technology to watch nanoparticles traveling into tumours revealing barriers that prevent their delivery to targets and the variability between cancers.

The biggest thing weve noticed is that nanoparticles face multiple challenges posed by the tumour itself on their way to cancer cells, says Sindhwani, an MD-PhD student in the Integrated Nanotechnology & Biomedical Sciences Laboratory of Professor Warren Chan (IBBME). Syed and Sindhwani co-published their findings online June 22, and on the cover of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. So the treatment might work for a while or worse, theres just enough of the drug for the cancer to develop resistance. This could be prevented if we can figure out the ways in which these barriers stop delivery and distribution of the drug throughout the cancer.

Tiny nanoparticles offer great hope for the treatment of cancer and other disease because of their potential to deliver drugs to targeted areas in the body, allowing more precise treatments with fewer side effects. But so far the technology hasnt lived up to its promise, due to delivery and penetration problems.

To dismantle this roadblock, the two graduate students searched for a way to better view the particles journey inside tumours. They discovered that the tough-to-see particles could be illuminated by scattering light off their surfaces.

The sensitivity of our imaging is about 1.4 millionfold higher, says Syed. First, we make the tissue transparent, then we use the signal coming from the particles to locate them. We shine a light on the particles and it scatters the light. We capture this scattering light to learn the precise location of the nanoparticles.

It was already understood that nanoparticles were failing to accumulate in tumours, thanks to a meta-analysis of the field done by Chans group. But the researchers have developed technologies to look at nanoparticle distribution in 3D, which provides a much fuller picture of how the particles are interacting with the rest of the tumour biology. The goal is to use this technology to gather knowledge for developing mathematical principles of nanoparticle distribution in cancer, similar to the way principles exist for understanding the function of the heart, says Syed.

And because each tumour is unique, this technology and knowledge base should help future scientists to understand the barriers to drug delivery on a personalized basis, and to develop custom treatments.

The next step is to understand what in cancers biology stops particles from fully penetrating tumours and then to develop ways to bypass cancers defences.

But the technology is also useful for diseases other than cancer. With the help of Professor Jennifer Gommerman, an researcher in the Department of Immunology who studies multiple sclerosis (MS), Syed and Sindhwani captured 3D images of lesions in a mouse model mimicking MS using nanoparticles.

This is going to be very valuable to anyone trying to understand disease or the organ system more deeply, says Sindhwani. And once we understand barriers that dont allow drugs to reach their disease site, we can start knocking them down and improving patient health adds Syed.

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Targeting tumours: IBBME researchers investigate biological barriers to nanomedicine delivery - U of T Engineering News

It's rare for researchers to discover a new class of drugs, but a University of Calgary microbiology professor recently did so -- by accident and now hopes to revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment.

In 2004, Dr. Pere Santamaria and his research lab team at the Cumming School of Medicine conducted an experiment to image a mouse pancreas, using nanoparticles coated in pancreatic proteins.

The work didnt go as planned.

Our experiment was a complete failure, he recently told CTV Calgary. We were actually quite depressed, frustrated about the outcome of that.

But the team was surprised to discover the nanoparticles had a major effect on the mice: resetting their immune systems.

The team realized that, by using nanoparticles, they can deliver disease-specific proteins to white blood cells, which will then go on to reprogram the cells to actively suppress the disease.

Whats more, the nanoparticles stop the disease without compromising the immune system, as current treatments often do.

Santamarias team believes nanomedicine drugs can be modified to treat all kinds of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Convinced that nanomedicine has the potential to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry, Santamaria founded a company to explore the possibilities, called Parvus Therapeutics Inc.

This past spring, Novartis, one of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies, entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Parvus to fund the process of developing nanomedicine.

Under the terms of the agreement, Parvus will receive research funding to support its clinical activities, while Novartis receives worldwide rights to use Parvus technology to develop and commercialize products for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Its a good partnership, Santamaria said in a University of Calgary announcement. Bringing a drug to market requires science as well as money.

Santamaria cant say how long it might be before nanomedicine can be used to create human therapies, but he says everyone involved is working aggressively to make it happen.

With a report from CTV Calgarys Kevin Fleming

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'Nanomedicine': Potentially revolutionary class of drugs are made-in ... - CTV News

When Dr. Pere Santamaria arrived in Calgary in 1992 to join the Cumming School of Medicine, he never could have imagined he would make a groundbreaking discovery that would lead to a spinoff company. When I arrived, I found out that the grant money I was expecting hadnt come through, says Santamaria, a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases and member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. So I had an empty lab with no research assistants and no salary. I had to beg my supervisor to give me $10,000 to start my research.

Despite the rocky start, Santamaria has achieved something many scientists dream of making a discovery that has practical applications for health care. Santamarias discovery revolves around the use of nanoparticles coated in proteins to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.

They can be modified for different diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis without compromising the entire immune system, Santamaria explains. Instead, they basically work to reset the immune system.

Nanomedicines unique mechanism has the potential to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry entirely. Developing a new class of drugs is rare. With the assistance of Innovate Calgary, Santamaria started a company, Parvus Therapeutics Inc., to represent the technology and explore ways of bringing it to market. Announced in April 2017, Parvus entered into an exclusive deal with the Swiss pharma giant Novartis, hopefully leading to the development and commercialization of Parvuss nanomedicine to treat Type 1 diabetes.

Its a good partnership, Santamaria says. Bringing a drug to market requires science as well as money.

Supporting commercialization should be a top priority for all research, he continues. Our biggest responsibility is to the patients and making sure they have access to the medicine they need. With that in mind, Santamaria shares his insight for other researchers who may be interested in bringing their discoveries from the lab bench to the market.

If youre interested in investigating spin-out opportunities, get in touch with Innovate Calgary, which offers mentors, coaching, business skill development programs, intellectual property services and other back-office support.

Throughout the years, Santamarias work has been funded by numerous organizations, including Diabetes Canada, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Diabetes Association, Foothills.He is a member of the Snyder Institute and associate member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.Santamaria named his company Parvus from the Greek word meaning small.

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UCalgary researcher signs deal to develop nanomedicines for ... - UCalgary News

Short Name: Nanomed Meeting 2017

Theme: Challenges and Innovations in next generation medicine

Website: http://www.meetingsint.com/pharma-conferences/nanomedicine-nanotechnology

Registration Link: http://www.meetingsint.com/pharma-conferences/nanomedicine-nanotechnology/registration

Nanomed Meeting 2017 Organizing Committee invites you to attend the largest assemblage of Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology researchers from around the globe during November 23-24, 2017 at Dubai, UAE.

Nanomed Meeting 2017 is a global annual event. This International Conference and Exhibition on Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology brings together scientists, researchers, business development managers, CEOs, directors, IP Attorneys, Regulatory Officials and CROs from around the world. The passage of Nanomed Meeting 2017 through a decade at Asia finds much requirement for discussion also focusing the latest developments in the field of Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology.

Why attend?

Join your peers around the world focused on learning about Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology related advances, which is your single best opportunity to reach the largest assemblage of participants from the Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology community, conduct demonstrations, distribute information, meet with current and potential professionals, make a splash with a new research works, and receive name recognition at this 2-day event. World-renowned speakers, the most recent research, advances, and the newest updates in Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology are hallmarks of this conference.

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International Conference and Exhibition on Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology - Technology Networks

What Debra Travers really wanted to be was a marine biologist, until I found out Jacques Cousteau wasnt hiring.

How she wound up as chief executive of PolyAurum LLC, a Philadelphia start-up developing biodegradable gold nanoparticles for treating cancerous tumors, involved a professional journey of more than 30 years in pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries, and a personal battle with the disease shes now in business to defeat.

After determining that studying sea creatures was not a viable career choice, Travers a military kid from all over switched her major at Cedar Crest College in Allentown to medical technology. She graduated in 1979, then worked for three years in a hospital laboratory until she concluded she didnt like shift work and could do more.

What followed was an impressive career progression: Travers started as a chemistry technician at DuPont Biomedical Products Division, advancing to executive positions in marketing and product development at Centocor, GlaxoSmithKline, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and IMS Health.

Much of that work involved bringing new products through the long development and regulation-heavy process from concept to launch, with experience in therapeutic areas including oncology, urology, pain medicine, cardiology, and rheumatology. In an industry of specialty silos, Travers developed a uniquely blended expertise in marketing and R&D.

It was on March 23, 2006, that her health-care vocation turned personal: Travers, then a 50-year-old mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

An oncologist recommended a double mastectomy, removal of both ovaries, and chemotherapy. The tearful pleadings of her daughter, Kelly, then 18 I need you here when I graduate college, when I get married, when I have kids persuaded Travers to follow that recommendation.

She returned to work at Endo for seven more years, as a director in project management, before being laid off in June 2013, one month before her daughters wedding. The break gave Travers time to concentrate on the big event and to start to think what Id like to do when I grow up.

That process would lead her in late 2015 to PolyAurum, a start-up spun out of the University of Pennsylvania.

I became a CEO and a grandmother in the same year, said Travers, now 61, chuckling during a recent interview at the Pennovation Center incubator in West Philadelphia. From there, her home in Delaware, and the sites of pitch opportunities with investors, she is working to raise $1.3 million in seed funding by early in the fourth quarter, to help get PolyAurum closer to clinical trials on humans.

So far, research and testing funded through $4 million in grants to the university has been limited to mice with tumors. It has shown that gold nanocrystals greatly enhance the effectiveness of radiation on tumors without increasing harm to healthy surrounding tissue, said Jay Dorsey, an associate professor and radiation oncologist at Penn and one of four university faculty who developed the technology.

The effectiveness of metals in improving a tumors ability to absorb radiation has long been known, Dorsey said. But one of the stumbling blocks to incorporating gold nanoparticles in such therapeutics is that the metal is not eliminated from the body well, posing serious problems to vital organs such as the liver and spleen.

Penns David Cormode, a professor of radiology, and Andrew Tsourkas, a professor of bioengineering, have worked to make gold more biocompatible, resulting in PolyAurums current technology, Dorsey said. The gold nanocrystals are contained in a biodegradable polymer that allows enough metal to collect in a tumor. The polymer then breaks down, releasing the gold for excretion from the body so that it does not build up in key organs.

The companys name is a combination of those two essential ingredients: Poly, derived from polymer, and Aurum, the Latin word for gold.

Explaining all that, and the potential that PolyAurums founders see for extending and saving lives, is the message Travers now is in charge of disseminating the part of the critical path to commercialization that is not the strength of most researchers toiling in laboratories.

She knows what the founders dont know it just makes a perfect match, said Michael Dishowitz, portfolio manager at PCI Ventures, an arm of Penn that helps university start-ups find investors, recruit management, and get to market.

Since its formation about eight years ago, PCI has helped more than 150 companies secure more than $100 million in funding, said Dishowitz, who has a doctoratein bioengineering from Penn and spent several years studying the impact of cell-signaling pathways on orthopedic injury.

While calling PolyAurums technology cool and very transformative for treatment, Dishowitz also delivered a dose of reality about the rigors ahead, as health-care start-ups must navigate a course with no guarantees their products will lead to actual clinical implementation.

PolyAurum is one of 13 companies that entered Philadelphia Media Networks second annual Stellar StartUps competition in the health-care/life sciences category. A total of nine categories drew 88 applicants. The winners will be announced Sept. 12 at an event at the Franklin Institutes Fels Planetarium. (Details at http://www.philly.com/stellarstartups.)

A lot has to go right, all the planets and stars have to align for this to hit the market, Dishowitz said of PolyAurums commercial prospects.

Which is why the team behind any start-up is so essential to investors, he said, calling Travers interest in joining a company that has yet been unable to pay her (she has equity in PolyAurum) incredibly lucky.

Margo Reed

At the Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging Lab at Penn Medicine are (front row, from left) Jay Dorsey, a radiation oncologist and a founder of PolyAurum; Debra Travers, CEO; and Andrew Tsourkas, another founder of PolyAurum; and (back row, from left) Michael Dishowitz, portfolio manager, PCI Ventures at Penn; and David Cormode, lab director and PolyAurum founder. (MARGO REED / Staff Photographer)

The only thing Travers corporate-heavy background lacked, he said, was raising money for a start-up. It doesnt worry him, Dishowitz said, citing Travers perseverance, no-quit attitude.

When youre out there raising money, youre going to hear no about 100, 150 times before you hear yes, Dishowitz said.

When it comes to pitching for PolyAurum, Travers has extra incentive.

I am working on a cancer therapeutic, which is very important to the 11-year cancer survivor in me, she said.

As for handling nos, shes had plenty of professional experience with that.

After spending 30-plus years in the drug and diagnostic industries, where it is hard to find women CEOs or board members, Travers said, Ive learned to ignore the negative voices.

When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Where: Fels Planetarium, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., Philadelphia 19103

For more information: http://www.philly.com/stellarstartups

Published: July 28, 2017 3:01 AM EDT

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Cancer survivor becomes a cancer fighter at a Philly start-up - Philly.com

There has been a growing interest in the different applications of nanomaterials in the field of medicine. An article published in Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine showed the ways in which Laponite, a synthetic clay made of nanomaterials, can be of use in clinical practice.

Current advances in technology have provided many opportunities to develop new devices that improve the practice of medicine. There has been a growing interest in the different applications of nanomaterials in the field of medicine.

An article published in Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine reviewed Laponite, a non-toxic synthetic clay composed of nanomaterials which has different uses in the field of medicine. Laponite can be used in drug delivery systems, as the synthetic clay protects substances from degradation in physiologic environments. Different experiments show that Laponite is effective not only in protecting drugs from degradation, but also in transporting and releasing drugs into the body. The degradation of Laponite in the physiologic environment also releases products which have biological roles, especially in bone formation.

Laponite has been shown to induce osteogenic differentiation of cells in the absence of other factors which are known to promote differentiation and cell growth. The application of nanomaterials in bioimaging has also been studied. In one experiment, Laponite was incorporated with gadolinum, a dye used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resulting in brighter images and prolonged contrast enhancement for 1 hour post-injection. Laponite has also proven to be of use in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This synthetic clay can elicit specific biologic responses, act as a carrier for biochemical factors, and improve the mechanical properties of scaffolds used for tissue growth.

In summary, nanomaterials and synthetic clays such as Laponite have many applications in the field of medicine. Although current published literature state no toxic effects on the human body, further studies are needed to assess safety before it can be applied to clinical practice.

Written By:Karla Sevilla

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Application of Nanomaterials in the Field of Medicine - Medical News Bulletin

Written by AZoNanoJul 10 2017

The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT will soon be reaching the first anniversary of the launch of the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, founded through a generous gift from Kathy and Curt Marble 63.

The Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicines faculty is made up of Koch Institute members who are committed to fighting cancer with nanomedicine through research, education, and collaboration. Top row (l-r) Sangeeta Bhatia, director; Daniel Anderson; and Angela Belcher. Bottom row: Paula Hammond; Darrell Irvine; and Robert Langer. (Photo: Koch Institute Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine)

Bringing together leading Koch Institute faculty members and their teams, the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine focuses on huge challenges in cancer detection, treatment and monitoring that can profit from the latest physics and biology of the nanoscale.

These challenges include spotting cancer earlier than present techniques allow, harnessing the immune system to combat cancer even as it progresses, using therapeutic insights from cancer biology to design therapies for formerly undruggable targets, integrating current drugs for synergistic action, and developing tools for more accurate diagnosis and improved surgical intervention.

Koch Institute member Sangeeta N. Bhatia, the John J. and Dorothy Wilson, Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, serves as the Inaugural Director of the center.

A major goal for research at the Marble Center is to leverage the collaborative culture at the Koch Institute to use nanotechnology to improve cancer diagnosis and care in patients around the world.

Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Koch Institute Member

Transforming nanomedicine

The Marble Center joins MITs larger efforts at the forefront of discovery and advancement to solve the critical global challenge that is cancer. The concept of convergence the combination of the life and physical sciences with engineering is a trademark of MIT, the founding principle of the Koch Institute, and at the heart of the Marble Centers mission.

The center galvanizes the MIT cancer research community in efforts to use nanomedicine as a translational platform for cancer care. Its transformative by applying these emerging technologies to push the boundaries of cancer detection, treatment, and monitoring and translational by promoting their development and application in the clinic.

Tyler Jacks, Director of the Koch Institute and a David H. Koch Professor of Biology

The centers faculty six renowned MIT Professors and Koch Institute Members are committed to combating cancer with nanomedicine through research, education and partnership. They are, Sangeeta Bhatia (director), the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Daniel G. Anderson, the Samuel A. Goldblith Professor of Applied Biology in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science; Angela M. Belcher, the James Mason Crafts Professor in the departments of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering; Paula T. Hammond, the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering; Darrell J. Irvine, Professor in the departments of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering; and Robert S. Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor.

Extending their partnership within the walls of the Institute, members of the Marble Center profit greatly from the support of the Peterson (1957) Nanotechnology Materials Core Facility in the Koch Institutes Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center. The Peterson Facilitys array of technological resources and know-how is unparalleled in the United States, and gives members of the center and of the Koch Institute, a distinctive advantage in the development and application of materials and technologies at the nanoscale.

Looking ahead

The Marble Center made the most of its first year, and has provided backing for advanced research projects including theranostic nanoparticles that can both detect and treat cancers, real-time imaging of interactions between cancer and immune cells to properly understand reaction to cancer immunotherapies, and delivery technologies for a number of powerful RNA-based therapeutics capable of engaging specific cancer targets with precision.

As part of its efforts to help adopt a multifaceted science and engineering research force, the center has offered fellowship support for trainees as well as valuable opportunities for scientific exchange, mentorship and professional development.

Promoting wider engagement, the Marble Center serves as a bridge to a broad network of nanomedicine resources, linking its members to MIT.nano, other Nanotechnology Researchers, and Clinical Partners across Boston and beyond. The center has also set up a scientific advisory board, whose members come from leading clinical and academic centers around the country, and will assist in shaping the centers future programs and continued development.

As the Marble Center enters another year of partnerships and innovation, there is a new landmark in sight for 2018. Nanomedicine has been chosen as the main theme for the Koch Institutes 17th Annual Cancer Research Symposium. The event is scheduled for June 15th, 2018, and will bring together national domain experts, providing a perfect forum for Marble Center members to share the discoveries and progresses made during its sophomore year.

Having next years KI Annual Symposium dedicated to nanomedicine will be a wonderful way to further expose the cancer research community to the power of doing science at the nanoscale. The interdisciplinary approach has the power to accelerate new ideas at this exciting interface of nanotechnology and medicine.

Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Koch Institute Member

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Koch Institute's Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine Brings Together Renowned Faculty to Combat Cancer - AZoNano

This summer, the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT marks the first anniversary of the launch of the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, established through a generous gift from Kathy and Curt Marble 63.

Bringing together leading Koch Institute faculty members and their teams, the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine focuses on grand challenges in cancer detection, treatment, and monitoring that can benefit from the emerging biology and physics of the nanoscale.

These challenges include detecting cancer earlier than existing methods allow, harnessing the immune system to fight cancer even as it evolves, using therapeutic insights from cancer biology to design therapies for previously undruggable targets, combining existing drugs for synergistic action, and creating tools for more accurate diagnosis and better surgical intervention.

Koch Institute member Sangeeta N. Bhatia, the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, serves as the inaugural director for the center.

A major goal for research at the Marble Center is to leverage the collaborative culture at the Koch Institute to use nanotechnology to improve cancer diagnosis and care in patients around the world, Bhatia says.

Transforming nanomedicine

The Marble Center joins MITs broader efforts at the forefront of discovery and innovation to solve the urgent global challenge that is cancer. The concept of convergence the blending of the life and physical sciences with engineering is a hallmark of MIT, the founding principle of the Koch Institute, and at the heart of the Marble Centers mission.

The center galvanizes the MIT cancer research community in efforts to use nanomedicine as a translational platform for cancer care, says Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute and a David H. Koch Professor of Biology. Its transformative by applying these emerging technologies to push the boundaries of cancer detection, treatment, and monitoring and translational by promoting their development and application in the clinic.

The centers faculty six prominent MIT professors and Koch Institute members are committed to fighting cancer with nanomedicine through research, education, and collaboration. They are:

Sangeeta Bhatia (director), the John J. and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;

Daniel G. Anderson, the Samuel A. Goldblith Professor of Applied Biology in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science;

Angela M. Belcher, the James Mason Crafts Professor in the departments of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering;

Paula T. Hammond, the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering;

Darrell J. Irvine, professor in the departments of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering; and

Robert S. Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor.

Extending their collaboration within the walls of the Institute, Marble Center members benefit greatly from the support of the Peterson (1957) Nanotechnology Materials Core Facility in the Koch Institutes Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center. The Peterson Facilitys array of technological resources and expertise is unmatched in the United States, and gives members of the center, and of the Koch Institute, a distinct advantage in the development and application of nanoscale materials and technologies.

Looking ahead

The Marble Center has wasted no time getting up to speed in its first year, and has provided support for innovative research projects including theranostic nanoparticles that can both detect and treat cancers, real-time imaging of interactions between cancer and immune cells to better understand response to cancer immunotherapies, and delivery technologies for several powerful RNA-based therapeutics able to engage specific cancer targets with precision.

As part of its efforts to help foster a multifaceted science and engineering research force, the center has provided fellowship support for trainees as well as valuable opportunities for mentorship, scientific exchange, and professional development.

Promotingbroader engagement, the Marble Center serves as a bridge to a wide network of nanomedicine resources, connecting its members to MIT.nano, other nanotechnology researchers, and clinical collaborators across Boston and beyond. The center has also convened a scientific advisory board, whose members hail from leading academic and clinical centers around the country, and will help shape the centers future programs and continued expansion.

As the Marble Center begins another year of collaborations and innovation, there is a new milestone in sight for 2018.Nanomedicine has been selected as the central theme for the Koch Institutes 17th Annual Cancer Research Symposium. Scheduled for June 15, 2018, the event will bring together national leaders in the field, providing an ideal forum for Marble Center members to share the discoveries and advancements made during its sophomore year.

Having next years KI Annual Symposium dedicated to nanomedicine will be a wonderful way to further expose the cancer research community to the power of doing science at the nanoscale, Bhatia says. The interdisciplinary approach has the power to accelerate new ideas at this exciting interface of nanotechnology and medicine.

To learn more about the people and projects of the Koch Institute Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine, visit nanomedicine.mit.edu.

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Converging on cancer at the nanoscale | MIT News - The MIT Tech

The department wanted nanotechnology to benefit the poor, so it directed funding towards pro-poor initiatives by prioritising research into diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis (TB). However, many less prominent diseases received proportionately more attention. In an unpublished report by the Mapungubwe Institute, researchers found that Parkinsons disease accounts for 2% of nanomedicine research, but is only 0.04% of South African disability-adjusted life years. In addition to Parkinsons, South African scholars study malaria, hepatitis B and Alzheimers in greater proportion than their disability-adjusted life years.

On the other hand, HIV/AIDS is severely understudied. HIV/AIDS accounts for 40% of SAs disability-adjusted life years but represents only 4% of South African nanomedicine research. The gross mismatch between R&D and the needs of South Africans shows that the interests of researchers can be at odds with the needs of the community.

We believe this mismatch is the symptom of global trends in medical R&D and the challenging economics of developing medicines that help the poor. Pharmaceutical companies have little desire to research diseases such as malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS because it will be difficult for them to recoup their R&D costs from medicine sales. In contrast, there is a robust market for cancer and Parkinsons disease medicines and they are, therefore, willing to invest in R&D in these fields.

As a consequence, well-targeted state intervention is needed to encourage R&D on diseases that do not have a market.

In a provocative book titled The Entrepreneurial State, Mariana Mazzucato provides examples of cases in which the state has inevitably been a lead investor and risk-taker in capitalist economies through "mission-oriented" investments and policies.

They include key technologies such as the internet, nanotechnologies, microbiology and drug discovery technologies, where the state played a leading role in achieving the necessary technological breakthroughs.

The state can risk funding initial R&D in areas that have no clear market but that push the bounds of science. An outstanding example is the iPhone all the key technologies behind it, such as the touchscreen, the internet and microprocessors, were funded by the state. The Obama administration also provided a direct $465m loan to Tesla Motors to build its model S.

The state should undertake risky investment to find solutions for its critical medicine research and drug discovery. The focus of private pharma is to focus on less innovative drugs, and private venture capitalists enter only once the real risk has been absorbed by the state.

Bill Gates said the key element to getting a breakthrough is more basic research, and that requires the government to take the lead. Only when that research is pointing towards a product, can we expect the private sector to kick in.

The government should play a leading role as an "entrepreneurial" investor and reap some of the financial rewards over time by retaining ownership of a small proportion of the intellectual property created.

Rather than succumb to its preassigned role as a "market fixer", the governments role should include resource mobilisation and setting the conditions for widespread market commercialisation.

It is time for SA to ask: what is it that the public and private sectors can do together to tackle the dire healthcare situation?

There is a great need for science and politics to combine efforts. A diverse set of governance actors, programmes, instruments and influences are needed by each form of new technology.

These recommendations will not immediately solve all of SAs health problems, but would put the country in a better position to improve its health-innovation system and the wellbeing of its people.

Woodson is assistant professor at Stony Brook University and Perrot is an independent researcher.

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State can cure skewed disease research - BusinessLIVE - Business Day (registration)

Researchers at London, UK-based Imperial College are developing a technology to transport drugs directly to the lungs of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients.

The technology consists of ethanol-heated iron and trans-trans muconic acid nanoparticles that can be small molecule drug actives.

These particles can be delivered directly to the site of the disease according to lead researcher Jane Mitchell, who told us the targeted approach bypasses the toxicity issues that have held back development of less targeted, systemic nanomedicines.

One of the biggest limitations in nanomedicine is toxicity, some of the best nanomedicine structures do not make it past the initial stages of development, as they kill cells, said Mitchell.

However in a study published in Pulmonary Circulation , researchers explain that these metallic structures - called metal organic frameworks (MOF) are not harmful to cells.

We made these prototype MOFs, and have shown they were not toxic to a whole range of human lung cells, Mitchell told us.

The hope is that using this approach will ultimately allow for high concentrations of drugs we already have, to be delivered to only the vessels in the lung, and reduce side effects, she said.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)

PAH is a rare lung disease caused by changes to the smaller branches of the pulmonary arteries. The artery walls thicken, and eventually cause organ failure.

While no cure exists, treatments that open up blood vessels in the artery wall are available. According to Mitchell, these treatments can produce negative side effects.

The drugs available [for PAH]are all small molecule drugs which are seriously limited by systemic side effects. Therefore delivering these drugs to the site of disease in our metal organic frame-work (MOF) carrier would represent a paradigm step forward in technology to treat this disease, she said.

Further, researchers believe the MOF technology has therapeutic benefits of its own.

We know that the carriers can havetherapeutic benefits intheir own right such as reducing inflammation and, in the case of ourformation, the potential for imaging, said Mitchell.

For patients with PAH, it could mean we are able to turn it from a fatal condition, to a chronic manageable one, she said.

According to Mitchell, the technology is not expensive at the experimental level, and would be scaled up at commercial level.

We now need to perform proof of concept studies using carriers containing drugs in cell and animal based models. With funding, this will be complete within 2 years, she Mitchell.

Upon completion of clinical trials, the University hopes to license out the technology.

Link:
Nanoparticle delivery tech targets rare lung disease - In-PharmaTechnologist.com

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising technologies in 21st century. Nanotechnology is a term used when technological developments occur at 0.1 to 100 nm scale. Nano medicine is a branch of nanotechnology which involves medicine development at molecular scale for diagnosis, prevention, treatment of diseases and even regeneration of tissues and organs. Thus it helps to preserve and improve human health. Nanomedicine offers an impressive solution for various life threatening diseases such as cancer, Parkinson, Alzheimer, diabetes, orthopedic problems, diseases related to blood, lungs, neurological, and cardiovascular system.

Development of a new nenomedicine takes several years which are based on various technologies such as dendrimers, micelles, nanocrystals, fullerenes, virosome nanoparticles, nanopores, liposomes, nanorods, nanoemulsions, quantum dots, and nanorobots.

In the field of diagnosis, nanotechnology based methods are more precise, reliable and require minimum amount of biological sample which avoid considerable reduction in consumption of reagents and disposables. Apart from diagnosis, nanotechnology is more widely used in drug delivery purpose due to nanoscale particles with larger surface to volume ratio than micro and macro size particle responsible for higher drug loading. Nano size products allow to enter into body cavities for diagnosis or treatment with minimum invasiveness and increased bioavailability. This will not only improve the efficacy of treatment and diagnosis, but also reduces the side effects of drugs in case of targeted therapy.

Global nanomedicine market is majorly segmented on the basis of applications in medicines, targeted disease and geography. Applications segment includes drug delivery (carrier), drugs, biomaterials, active implant, in-vitro diagnostic, and in-vivo imaging. Global nanomedicine divided on the basis of targeted diseases or disorders in following segment: neurology, cardiovascular, oncology, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and others. Geographically, nanomedicine market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. Considering nanomedicine market by application, drug delivery contribute higher followed by in-vitro diagnostics. Global nanomedicine market was dominated by oncology segment in 2012 due to ability of nanomedicine to cross body barriers and targeted to tumors specifically however cardiovascular nanomedicine market is fastest growing segment. Geographically, North America dominated the market in 2013 and is expected to maintain its position in the near future. Asia Pacific market is anticipated to grow at faster rate due to rapid increase in geriatric population and rising awareness regarding health care. Europe is expected to grow at faster rate than North America due to extensive product pipeline portfolio and constantly improving regulatory framework.

A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6370

Major drivers for nanomedicine market include improved regulatory framework, increasing technological know-how and research funding, rising government support and continuous increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, kidney disorder, and orthopedic diseases. Some other driving factors include rising number of geriatric population, awareness of nanomedicine application and presence of high unmet medical needs. Growing demand of nanomedicines from the end users is expected to drive the market in the forecast period. However, market entry of new companies is expected to bridge the gap between supply and demand of nanomedicines. Above mentioned drivers currently outweigh the risk associated with nanomedicines such as toxicity and high cost. At present, cancer is one of the major targeted areas in which nanomedicines have made contribution. Doxil, Depocyt, Abraxane, Oncospar, and Neulasta are some of the examples of pharmaceuticals formulated using nanotechnology.

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Key players in the global nanomedicine market include: Abbott Laboratories, CombiMatrix Corporation, GE Healthcare, Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt plc, Merck & Company, Inc., Nanosphere, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Celgene Corporation, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and UCB (Union chimique belge) S.A.

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Healthcare Nanotechnology (Nanomedicine) Market Expected to Generate Huge Profits by 2015 2021: Persistence ... - MilTech

New research from Imperial College London, that has recently been published online, examined a novel type of nanoparticle called metal organic frameworks (MOF) as drug carriers for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Published in Pulmonary Circulation, the research describes the first steps in the development of nanoparticles that can deliver drugs directly to the lungs. The MOFs, created in the laboratory by the researchers, are composed of iron and can expand to create pores within which drugs used to treat PAH can be stored and released where needed.

The hope is that using this approach will ultimately allow for high concentrations of drugs we already have to be delivered to only the vessels in the lung, and reduce side effects, explained Professor Jane Mitchell, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial in a news release. For patients with PAH, it could mean we are able to turn it from a fatal condition, to a chronic manageable one.

When testing the MOFs, the team from Imperial found that the structures reduced inflammation and were not toxic to human lung cells and blood vessels in laboratory conditions. Further testing in rats, showed the MOFs were safe in the animal model over a two-week period with few side-effects a slight build-up of iron was seen in the liver.

One of the biggest limitations in nanomedicine is toxicity, some of the best nanomedicine structures do not make it past the initial stages of development as they kill cells, continued Mitchell. We made these prototype MOFs, and have shown they were not toxic to a whole range of human lung cells.

The aim is to develop the metallic structures as a drug delivery method where the framework can hold onto the drug and release it under specific conditions, such as a change in pH, temperature or using magnets external to the body to draw the MOFs to the target area. Next steps for this research is to discover the ideal way to get the tiny structures loaded with drugs and delivered to the lungs effectively.

In this study we have proved the principle that this type of carrier has the potential to be loaded with a drug and targeted to the lung, Mitchell concluded. This is fundamental research and while this particular MOF might not be the one that makes it to a drug to treat PAH, our work opens up the idea that this disease should be considered with an increased research effort for targeted drug delivery.

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Metallic nanomolecules could help treat fatal lung disease in the future, notes research - EPM Magazine

LONDON, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Global Nano Chemotherapy Market & Clinical Trials Outlook 2022" report highlights the current development in the in the field of nano chemotherapy. Report gives comprehensive insight on various clinical and non-clinical parameters associated with the expansion of global nano chemotherapeutics market. The clinical and pricing insight on chemotherapeutics nanoformulations of approved drugs helps to understand the current market scenario of the nano chemotherapeutics.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4884894/

Nano chemotherapy is emerging as an important anti-cancer modality by supplementing the traditional chemotherapy. The main aim of nano chemotherapeutics is to improve the therapeutic efficacy of currently available chemotherapeutic agents by combining it with a nano scale delivery component. The majority of the cancer nanodrugs in the market are liposomes and polymer based nanoformulations which lower the toxicity and enhance the delivery of chemotherapeutics through the passive targeting. It is based on enhanced penetration and retention effect to reduce the lymphatic drainage in tumor tissue.

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are distributed non-specifically in body where they affect both cancerous and normal cells and thereby it limit the dose availability with in the tumor and also results in suboptimal treatment due to excessive toxicities. To overcome the limitations of chemotherapy treatment, many more therapies has also been emerged.

The use of nanoparticles by both passive and active targeting strategies can enhance the intracellular concentration of drugs in cancer cells while avoiding the toxicity in normal cells. When the nanoparticles bind to a specific receptors and then enter the cell, usually enveloped by endosomes through receptor mediated endocytosis and thereby bypassing the recognition of P glycoprotein.

Nanomedicine has already met with success in oncology domain with various product commercially available in the market. By releasing the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology, it increases the interest of the market players to commercialize the products in the field of nanotherapeutics and helps to increase the global market. The future of nanotherapeutics is bright and especially for the reversible cross linked nano carriers which are decorated with the cancer targeting ligands and it promote the endocytic uptake in tumor cells. The approach has the potential to overcome the drug resistance which is often with conventional chemotherapies.

For the next generation cancer nanotherapeutics, the complexity is higher which are under clinical development in terms of hybrid structures, surface physiochemical characteristics and mechanisms of delivery and action. There have been rapid advances in the nano therapeutic field in the past decade. Many of the nano carriers have been developed from which some have the great therapeutic potential. However, there remain many challenges in translating the nanoparticle drugs into the clinics. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4884894/

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Global Nano Chemotherapy Market & Clinical Trials Outlook 2022 - PR Newswire (press release)

The mission of Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine (Nanomedicine: NBM) is to promote the emerging interdisciplinary field of nanomedicine.

Nanomedicine: NBM is an international, peer-reviewed journal presenting novel, significant, and interdisciplinary theoretical and experimental results...

The mission of Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine (Nanomedicine: NBM) is to promote the emerging interdisciplinary field of nanomedicine.

Nanomedicine: NBM is an international, peer-reviewed journal presenting novel, significant, and interdisciplinary theoretical and experimental results related to nanoscience and nanotechnology in the life sciences. Content includes basic, translational, and clinical research addressing diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, prediction, and prevention of diseases. In addition to bimonthly issues, the journal website (http://www.nanomedjournal.com) also presents important nanomedicine-related information, such as future meetings, meeting summaries, funding opportunities, societal subjects, public health, and ethical issues of nanomedicine.

The potential scope of nanomedicine is broad, and we expect it to eventually involve all aspects of medicine. Sub-categories include synthesis, bioavailability, and biodistribution of nanomedicines; delivery, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of nanomedicines; imaging; diagnostics; improved therapeutics; innovative biomaterials; interactions of nanomaterials with cells, tissues, and living organisms; regenerative medicine; public health; toxicology; point of care monitoring; nutrition; nanomedical devices; prosthetics; biomimetics; and bioinformatics.

Article formats include Communications, Original Articles, Reviews, Perspectives, Technical and Commercialization Notes, and Letters to the Editor. We invite authors to submit original manuscripts in these categories. The journal website (http://www.nanomedjournal.com) also presents important nanomedicine-related information, such as future meetings, meeting summaries, funding opportunities, societal subjects, public health, and ethical issues of nanomedicine.

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Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine - Official Site

July 3, 2017 by Ryan O'hare Nanomedicine could help patients with fatal lung conditions. Credit: Imperial College London

Metallic nanomolecules capable of carrying drugs to exactly where they are needed could one day help to treat patients with a fatal lung condition.

Scientists based at Imperial College London have tested a new type of nanoparticle called metal organic frameworks (MOF) tiny metal cages less than 100 nanometres across that can be loaded with drug molecules which they believe could potentially be used to treat patients with a devastating condition called pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

In PAH the blood vessels of the lungs constrict and thicken, increasing blood pressure and causing the right side of the heart to work harder and harder, until it eventually fails. The condition is rare but devastating and can affect people of all ages, including babies, young adults and the elderly. Patients in the late stage of the disease have few treatment options beyond transplant, with a mean survival time of around five years following diagnosis.

While there is no cure for PAH, existing treatments work by opening up these blood vessels. These drugs act on blood vessels throughout the body, however, causing blood pressure to drop and resulting in a number of side effects which means the dose at which these drugs can be given is limited.

In their latest study, published online in Pulmonary Circulation, the multidisciplinary group at Imperial describes how it has taken the first in a number of steps to develop nanoparticles which could deliver drugs directly to the lungs, showing that the basic structures are not harmful to cells.

Professor Jane Mitchell, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial, who led the research, said: "The hope is that using this approach will ultimately allow for high concentrations of drugs we already have to be delivered to only the vessels in the lung, and reduce side effects. For patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, it could mean we are able to turn it from a fatal condition, to a chronic manageable one."

Metallic cages for drug delivery

The tiny metallic structures composed of iron were made in the lab of Professor Paul Lickiss and Dr Rob Davies's, from the Department of Chemistry and by Dr Nura Mohamed during her PhD studies at Imperial. Dr Mohamed, who was funded by the Qatar Foundation, made the structures so existing drugs used to treat PAH could fit inside them.

These structures were tested in human lung cells and blood vessel cells, which were grown from stem cells in the blood of patients with PAH. The team found that the structures reduced inflammation and were not toxic to the cells.

Further tests showed that the MOFs were safe in rats, with animals injected with MOFs over a two-week period showing few side effects other than a slight build-up of iron in the liver.

"One of the biggest limitations in nanomedicine is toxicity, some of best nanomedicine structures do not make it past the initial stages of development as they kill cells," said Professor Mitchell. "We made these prototype MOFs, and have shown they were not toxic to a whole range of human lung cells."

MOFs are an area of interest in nanomedicine, with engineers aiming to develop them as carriers which can hold onto drug cargo, releasing it under specific conditions, such as changes in pH, temperature, or even when the nanostructures are drawn to the target area by magnets outside the body.

Beyond the finding that their iron nanostructures were non-toxic, the team believes the MOFs may have additional therapeutic properties. There was evidence to suggest anti-inflammatory properties, with the MOFs reducing the levels of an inflammatory marker in the blood vessels, called endothelin-1, which causes arteries to constrict. In addition, iron is also a contrast agent, meaning it would show up on scans of the lungs to show where the drug had reached.

The MOFs have not yet been tested in patients, but the next step is to load the tiny metallic structures with drugs and work out the best way to get them to target their cargo to the lungs. The researchers are confident that if successful, the approach could move to trials for patients, with a drug candidate ready to test within the next five years. The MOFs could potentially be delivered by an inhaler into the lung, or administered by injection.

"In this study we have proved the principle that this type of carrier has the potential to be loaded with a drug and targeted to the lung," explained Professor Mitchell. "This is fundamental research and while this particular MOF might not be the one that makes it to a drug to treat PAH, our work opens up the idea that this disease should be considered with an increased research effort for targeted drug delivery."

Explore further: Longer-lasting pain relief with MOFs

More information: Nura A. Mohamed et al. Chemical and biological assessment of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in pulmonary cells and in an acute in vivo model: relevance to pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy, Pulmonary Circulation (2017). DOI: 10.1177/2045893217710224

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June 30, 2017 Size switchable nano-theranostics constructed with decomposable inorganic nanomaterials for acidic TME targeted cancer therapy. (a) A scheme showing the preparation of HSA-MnO2-Ce6&Pt (HMCP) nanoparticles, and (b) their tumor microenvironment responsive dissociation to enable efficient intra-tumoral penetration of therapeutic albumin complexes. (c) A scheme showing the preparation of Ce6(Mn)@CaCO3-PEG, and (d) its acidic TME responsive dissociation for enhanced MR imaging and synergistic cancer therapy. Credit: Science China Press

Cancer is one of leading causes of human mortality around the world. The current mainstream cancer treatment modalities (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy) only show limited treatment outcomes, partly owing to the complexities and heterogeneity of tumor biology. In recent decades, with the rapid advance of nanotechnology, nanomedicine has attracted increasing attention as promising for personalized medicine to enable more efficient and reliable cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Unlike normal cells energized via oxidative phosphorylation, tumor cells utilize the energy produced from oxygen-independent glycolysis for survival by adapting to insufficient tumor oxygen supply resulting from the heterogeneously distributed tumor vasculatures (also known as the Warburg effect). Via such oncogenic metabolism, tumor cells would produce a large amount of lactate along with excess protons and carbon dioxide, which collectively contribute to enhanced acidification of the extracellular TME with pH, often in the range of 6.5 to 6.8, leading to increased tumor metastasis and treatment resistance.

With rapid advances in nanotechnology, several catalogs of nanomaterials have been widely explored for the design of cancer-targeted nano-theranostics. In a new overview published in the Beijing-based National Science Review, co-authors Liangzhu Feng, Ziliang Dong, Danlei Tao, Yicheng Zhang and Zhuang Liu at the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University in Suzhou, China present new developments in the design of novel multifunctional nano-theranostics for precision cancer nanomedicine by targeting the acidic TME and outline the potential development directions of future acidic tumor microenvironment-responsive nano-theranostics.

"Various types of pH-responsive nanoprobes have been developed to enable great signal amplification under slightly reduced pH within solid tumors. By taking the acidic TME as the target, smart imaging nanoprobes with excellent pH-responsive signal amplification would be promising to enable more sensitive and accurate tumor diagnosis," they state in the published study.

"As far as nano-therapeutics are concerned, it has been found that the acidic TME responsive surface charge reverse, PEG corona detachment and size shrinkage (or decomposition) of nanoparticles would facilitate the efficient tumor accumulation, intra-tumoral diffusion and tumor cellular uptake of therapeutics, leading to significantly improved cancer treatment. Therefore, the rational development of novel cancer-targeted nano-theranostics with sequential patterns of size switch from large to small, and surface charge reverse from neutral or slightly negative to positive within the tumor, would be more preferred for efficient tumor-targeted drug delivery."

The scientists also write, "For the translation of those interesting smart pH-responsive nano-therapeutics from bench to bedside, the formulation of those nanoscale systems should be relatively simple, reliable and with great biocompatibility, since many of those currently developed nano-theranostics were may be too complicated for clinical translation."

Explore further: Treatment with Alk5 inhibitor improves tumor uptake of imaging agents

More information: Liangzhu Feng et al, The acidic tumor microenvironment: a target for smart cancer nano-theranostics, National Science Review (2017). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwx062

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Exploiting acidic tumor microenvironment for the development of novel cancer nano-theranostics - Medical Xpress