NanoSponges for Drug Delivery and Medicinal Applications
- Detailed Technology Description
- None
- *Abstract
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Challenge
Many current drugs and drugcandidates are hydrophobic and thus have low solubility in water. This limited solubility in aqueous solutionspresents a challenge for effective invivo delivery of the drug and often hinders its therapeutic index.
Solution
Pharmaceuticalformulations are a current solution for the water-insolubility of manydrugs. For example, commercial paclitaxelis solubilized in an FDA-approved formulation of ethanol and modified castoroil. Though this formulation is requiredfor sufficient drug solubility, its use can cause severe allergic reactions inpatients and therefore requires premedication with antihistamines and corticosteroids.
Carbonnanomaterials have recently garnered attention as potential drug deliveryplatforms. Current strategies usingnano-engineered scaffolds, however, often rely on the covalent attachment of thedrug. Covalent modification may requirelaborious synthetic steps, and synthetic modification of the drug can alter itstherapeutic properties.
Thepresent invention relates to the production and use of 30-40-nm-sized watersoluble carbon nanoparticles in the sequestration and delivery of chemical payloadssuch as drug compounds. This method doesnot rely on covalent attachment of the payload, and a paclitaxel/nanotubeassembly has shown comparable cell-killing ability as commercially-solubilizedpaclitaxel.
Benefitsand features
- Amenable to targeted drug delivery applications
- Potential uses for drug delivery in extended release applications
- Demonstrated rapid cellular uptake of nanoparticles
- Method offers possibility of attaching various solubilizing groups to nanoparticles
MarketPotential / Applications
This invention might findapplication in the development of novel pharmaceutical formulations forenhanced drug delivery. In addition tosolubilization and delivery of drugs, the material used in this system can alsoprovide a protective barrier that shields the drug from premature destructionwithin the body.
It is also important to notethat both commercially-available formulations of paclitaxel involvenon-covalent sequestration of the unmodified drug.
Development and LicensingStatus
Thistechnology is available for licensing from Rice University.
Cellularuptake of the functionalized carbon nanoparticles has been demonstrated, andthe functionalized nanotube matrix has been shown to be non-toxic to cells.
RiceResearchers
James M. Tour is the T.T. andW.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry at Rice University. He has published over 400 research articlesand is a named inventor on over 40 patents and patent applications.
TechnologyRelevant Papers and Web Links
Berlin, J.M.; Leonard, A.D.;Pham, T.T.; Sano, D.; Marcano, D.C.; Yan, S.; Fiorentino, S.; Milas, Z.L.;Kosynkin, D.V.; Price, K.B.; Lucente-Schultz, R.; Wen, X.; Raso, M.G.; Craig,S.L.; Tran, H.T.; Myers, J.N.; Tour, J.M. “Effective Drug Delivery, In Vitro and In Vivo, by Carbon-Based Nanovectors Noncovalently Loaded withUnmodified Paclitaxel,” ACS Nano 2010, 4, 4621-4636.
AU.S. patent application (publication #20090170768) has been filed for thisinvention.
Tour website: www.jmtour.com
Case# 28020
KeyWords: drugdelivery, formulations, pharmaceuticals, nanoparticles
Inquiriesto:
Luba Pacala, lpacala@rice.edu,(713) 348-5590
Chance Rainwater, crainwater@rice.edu,(713) 348-4106
- Country/Region
- USA
