During tumor propagation, tumor-surrounding areas are highly vascularized in order to provide sufficient nutrients and oxygen supply for the rapid growth of tumor cells. Therefore, rapid formation of tumor blood vessels through angiogenesis causes deficient blood vessels with leaky irregular endothelial cells, which are absent in healthy tissues. As a result, the tumor vasculature becomes more permeable for macromolecular transportation through the gaps formed between the endothelial cells.With the advancement of nanotechnology, novel drug delivery systems based on nanomaterials as vehicles have been introduced, having the potential of delivering conventional chemotherapeutic agents selectively to the targeted cancer sites following macromolecular transportation through tumor blood vessels. In this particular research, a Fe/Fe3O4 based nanoparticle system is constructed by tethering a chemotherapeutic prodrug of doxorubicin and tumor-homing/uptake peptide sequences to dopamine units that are located at the Fe3O4-interface of the nanoparticle. Once the nanoparticles are selectively introduced to the targeted areas, the prodrug is activated due to the acidic environments in the interstitium and (after uptake) the endosome, which causes corrosion of the nanoparticle and release of the drugs and peptide sequences from the nanoparticle's surface. The optimization of the drug delivery system and its therapeutic effects was carried out using a statistical analysis method known as response surface methodology.

Iron nanoparticle-based drug delivery system for effective cancer treatments

247th National Meeting (2014)

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