A-Team goals ovaries containing nanoparticles

Tiny particles of a killer gene effectively remove ovarian tumor growth in mice by a team of researchers from MIT and the Lankenau Institute. The results could lead to new treatment of cancer of the ovaries, now more than 15,000 deaths annually in the United States. Indeed, it is usually diagnosed at a relatively late stage, ovarian, cancer is one of the most deadly form of the disease.

The new treatment, in the August 1st edition of the journal Cancer Research, provides a gene for diphtheria toxin, which kills cells in their ability to produce proteins. The toxin is usually by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Begin human clinical studies, after several additional preclinical studies, with one or two years, said Daniel Anderson, a researcher at the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT and a principal author of the paper.

Currently, patients undergoing ovarian cancer, followed by chemotherapy. In many cases, products for treating cancer, and there is no good treatment for recurrent and advanced tumors.

Anderson and others, of MIT, including the Institute Professor Robert Lang, in collaboration with researchers at the Lankenau Institute led by Professor Janet Sawicki, that gene therapy has been dealt with as effectively and in some cases more effective than traditional chemotherapy combination of cisplatin and paclitaxel. In addition, not the toxic side effects of chemotherapy, because the gene has been developed for overexpressed in ovarian cells, but is inactive in other cell types.

For the effect of the tumor focus, nanoparticles were injected into the abdominal cavity, stomach encases institutions such as the stomach, liver, spleen, ovaries and uterus. Ovarian cancer is known, first, that the whole abdominal cavity and the current therapeutic approaches in humans direct injection into the peritoneal room and thus the therapy of the ovaries and the surrounding tissue where the tumors have.

The new nanoparticles are positively charged, the biodegradable polymer known as poly (beta-amino esters). When mixed, these polymers can spontaneously with DNA to nanoparticles. The polymer nanoparticles can deliver DNA, depending on the injection of DNA in or near the targeted tissue.

For several years, the MIT team develops Lankenau since these nanoparticles as an alternative to viruses, as part of security risks. In addition to the ovary, these nanoparticles have shown potential for the treatment of a variety of diseases, including prostate cancer and viral infections

"I am pleased that our research in the field of Drug Delivery and new materials can contribute to the treatment of ovarian cancer," said Langer.

In future studies, the team plans for the efficiency of nanoparticles, the diphtheria toxin gene in other types of cancer including brain, lung and liver cancer.