What is it about?
Nanoparticles are making waves in disease treatment, showing promising progress in drug delivery. Yet, within the body, they encounter tough physiological and pathological barriers, resulting in a delivery efficiency of under 0.7%. To combat high interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) in tumors, inspired by the shape of Fusobacterium found abundantly in solid tumors, researchers have developed nanoparticles with various curvatures. They found that high-curvature, sharp fusiform-shaped nanoparticles excel in penetrating these high-IFP environments. Using advanced microscopy and molecular simulations, the study revealed that the high curvature of these nanoparticles allows them to navigate pressure differences and enhance hopping movement, significantly boosting drug delivery efficiency.
Featured Image
Photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This study presents a refined quantitative analysis of nanoparticle shapes, revealing that high curvature significantly enhances transport efficiency in high-IFP environments by modulating fluid dynamics within interstitial spaces. By systematically addressing IFP-related challenges through the regulation of fundamental physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, this research extends the frontiers of biophysics and computational biology, contributing to enhanced therapeutic outcomes in cancer treatment.This innovative mechanism advances drug delivery efficacy, paving the way for novel nanomedicine approaches.
Perspectives
Years of work from our team have been dedicated to unveiling new biophysics and computational biology mechanisms for efficient drug delivery. This study highlights NP curvature as the key characteristic that overcomes complex barriers, enabling precise and quantitative NP shape characterization beyond simple descriptors like rods, spheres, and ellipsoids. We hope these findings will advance the drug delivery field, spark further research, and enhance clinical outcomes by providing more effective treatments.
Yong Gan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Curvature-mediated rapid extravasation and penetration of nanoparticles against interstitial fluid pressure for improved drug delivery, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, May 2024, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319880121.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
