Description:
Reference #: 01404
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Preparation of Dual-Targeted Nano-Cocktail and its Application in Cancer Therapy
Background:
Due to the heterogeneous nature of tumors and the limitation of anticancer drugs, a mono-compound treatment usually can only kill a fraction of cancer cells while sparing non-responsive ones, which can continue proliferating and result in the recurrence of cancer. A nano-cocktail can be used to treat multiple kinds of cancer cells and works by creating a cooperative nanosystem of different treatments or order to fight cancer. In spite of many promising in vitro and in vivo results achieved with drug cocktail in cancer animal models, translation of the drug cocktail concept into a successful cancer treatment remains a challenge due to the lack of a safe and effective delivery system, which resulted in drug leakage prior to the cancerous area, which can further complicate the cancer patient.
Invention Description:
Dr. Peisheng Xu has created a hetero-targeted nano-cocktail (PPPDMA) for the treatment of cancer. The previous research designed a two-drug cocktail nanogel system through encapsulating drugs. It was found that the release of the encapsulated drugs during circulation can be reduced while significantly boosting its discharge in acidic pH or reducing environments. In the meantime, the nano-cocktail exhibits a synergistic effect in killing cancer cells. Although the nanogel system could attenuate drug burst release, there were still about 20% of the drug leaking before it reached its target tissue, which could adversely affect the health of the already critical cancer patient. This problem further becomes a trade-off between safety and efficacy in nano-cocktail drugs. With this in mind, the present cocktail was designed to not release its payload prematurely during blood circulation and effectively eliminate cancer, while keeping the patient safe.
Potential Applications:
This new nano-cocktail can deliver more target drugs to cancer cells that will more effectively eradicate the cancer cells while keeping the patient safe from drug leakage that could further complicate their condition.
Advantages and Benefits:
Minimizing the side effects of the drug cocktail, enhanced anticancer efficacy, overcome multi-drug resistance.