Researchers at Northwestern University published in ACS Nano have redesigned a common chemotherapy drug using nanotechnology, turning it into a targeted cancer-fighting treatment that’s far more potent and less toxic.
The team built the new version with spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) which is a microscopic spheres coated in strands of DNA.
By embedding the drug within this structure, it dissolves more easily and is naturally absorbed by cancer cells.
"If this translates to human patients, it's a really exciting advance. It would mean more effective chemotherapy, better response rates, and fewer side effects. That's always the goal with any sort of cancer treatment", said Chad Mirkin, who led the study, to Science Daily.
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Stronger and safer chemotherapy
The redesigned therapy was tested in animals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-moving blood cancer that’s often difficult to treat.
Compared with the standard form, the SNA-based version entered cancer cells 12 times more efficiently and destroyed them up to 20,000 times more effectively, without visible side effects.
Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which damages healthy tissue, the nanotech version precisely targets cancer cells.
In animal models, tumors stopped growing, and normal cells remained unharmed.
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A step toward precision medicine
The study focused on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a decades-old drug known for its severe side effects and poor solubility.
By re-engineering its structure, the Northwestern team solved one of chemotherapy’s biggest problems, getting enough of the drug into the right cells.
The next stage will involve larger animal studies, followed by potential human trials.
If successful, this approach could mark the beginning of a new era of precision nanomedicine, where cancer drugs are powerful, selective, and far less punishing to patients.
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Source: Science Daily, and ACS Nano.
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