Even with modern advances in medicine, treatment of cancers with internal body tumors often require major invasive surgeries. However, human serum albumin particles (HSAPs) internally bound with cancer-combative drugs or gold nanorods could offer an alternative treatment: One which would be less invasive and cause significantly less damage to the host. Nanoparticles were prepared using human serum albumin (HSA), which is the most abundant protein in human blood. Being naturally biocompatible, they are unlikely to be rejected by the body. Drug and/or gold loaded particles were created by addition of the drug/nanorods during the albumin nanoparticle synthesis. Nanocomposites can be injected into the tumor site, and encapsulated drugs will attack the tumor during natural release by protein degradation. Simultaneously, cancerous cells can be killed by hyperthermal effects with near infrared laser irradiation to heat the gold nanorods within the HSAPs. However, for eventual application in the medical field, more research is crucial. Fluorescent dyes or drug analogs were incorporated into the HSAPs to determine the degree of encapsulation and dosage limitations. Degradation and enzymatic release of bound organic drugs or fluorophores was studied by allowing proteolytic enzyme digestion. These methods will allow <i>in vitro</i> experiments for determination of the rate of drug release from the particles due to lysosomal enzymes, near infrared irradiation, or a combination of both. The results of this study will help develop medical applications of HSAPs for more effective treatment of cancer.

Human serum albumin nanoparticles for drug delivery and release: Developing alternative treatments

255th National Meeting (2018)

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