IIT Madras develops new precision nanoinjection platform to boost breast cancer drug delivery

An international team of researchers led by the Indian Institute of Technology IIT Madras has developed a cuttingedge nanoinjection drug delivery platform that has the potential to make breast cancer treatment safer and more effectiveBreast cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality among women worldwideConventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation often harm noncancerous tissues due to systemic drug exposureThe new nanoinjection system delivers the anticancer drug doxorubicin directly into cancer cells using thermally stable nanoarchaeosomes NAs loaded into vertically aligned SiNTs etched onto a silicon waferThe approach creates a precise and sustained therapeutic system that minimises damage to healthy cells by combining nanoarchaeosomebased drug encapsulation with silicon nanotube SiNTbased intracellular delivery said the team including those from Monash University and Deakin University in AustraliaExperiments on in vitro cell culture and ex ovo chick embryo models published in the journal Advanced Materials Interfaces demonstrated that the NADSiNTs NanoarchaeosomeDoxorubicinSilicon nanotubes induced strong cytotoxicity against MCF7 breast cancer cells while sparing healthy fibroblastsThe NADSiNTs triggered cellcycle arrest and necrosis in cancer cells and significantly reduced angiogenesis the process through which tumours develop new blood vessels by downregulating key proangiogenic factorsThe platform demonstrated 23 times lower inhibitory concentration IC50 than free doxorubicin suggesting higher potency at much lower doses which can directly translate into lower treatment costs and fewer side effectsldquoThis research could have transformative implications for healthcare delivery in low and middleincome countries like India where access to advanced cancer therapies remains limited by cost By enabling targeted delivery of smaller doses with higher efficacy the system can potentially lower the overall expense of cancer treatment and improve patientsrsquo quality of liferdquo said Dr Swathi Sudhakar Assistant Professor Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering IIT MadrasldquoThe platform also aligns with national goals for affordable healthcare innovation and could eventually be adapted for use in treating other forms of cancerrdquo she addedUnlike other nanoinjection platforms made from carbon or titanium nanotubes the silicon nanotubebased design is inherently biocompatible and nontoxic reducing the need for additional surface modifications This makes it a more reliable and scalable candidate for future clinical translationThe next phase of research will focus on in vivo validation longterm toxicity studies and regulatory assessments to prepare for preclinical and clinical translationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever