Nanoparticle Research Aids Drug Development

piggy submitted, created time 3 weeks 21 hours (www.sciencedaily.com)

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a new technology which can dramatically improve the effectiveness of antibacterial treatments.

Soluble drugs, soluble antibiotics in this case, that can dissolve in water tend to be more effective at lower doses, but these are rare. Insoluble drugs are more common, but they have to be administered at higher doses so that the patient will feel the same effect

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Nanoparticles Take On Tumors

sea-maid submitted, created time 4 months 3 weeks (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

The drugs cancer patients take to destroy their tumors also cause debilitating side effects such as nausea, weight loss, and even heart problems. But now researchers report that they can curb the spread of cancer cells in mice with drug concentrations far lower than the standard dose. The key is using a microscopic particle that zeroes in on blood vessels around the tumor to deliver low doses of the drug in a more concentrated way.

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Nanoparticles Enable Surgical Strikes against Cancer

Nanoparticles hitchhike on red blood cells: a potential new method for drug delivery

BIOBOSS submitted, created time 1 year 5 months (www.eurekalert.org)

Polymeric nanoparticles are excellent carriers for delivering drugs. However, they are quickly removed from the blood, sometimes in minutes, rendering them ineffective in delivering drugs. This study reports that nanoparticles can be forced to remain in circulation by attaching to red blood cells. Prolonged circulation of nanoparticles in the blood may potentially open new opportunities for the treatment of conditions such as cancer and heart disease.

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Pollution Controls In Nature: Proteins Sweep Up Nanoparticles

Luneetty submitted, created time 1 year 5 months (www.sciencedaily.com)

Here’s a pollution-control tip from nature: Deep inside a flooded mine in Wisconsin, scientists from several institutions including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have discovered a world in which bacteria emit proteins that sweep up metal nanoparticles into immobile clumps. Their finding may lead to innovative ways to remediate subsurface metal toxins.

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Nanoparticles can damage DNA, increase cancer risk

deirdre submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.physorg.com)

Tissue studies indicate that nanoparticles, engineered materials about a billionth of a meter in size, could damage DNA and lead to cancer, according to research presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

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Little lifesavers -- Nanoparticles improve delivery of medicines and diagnostics

broadcast submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.eurekalert.org)

Tiny, biodegradable particles filled with medicine may also contain answers to some of the biggest human health problems, including cancer and tuberculosis. The secret is the size of the package. Using an innovative technique they invented, a Princeton University-led research team has created particles that can deliver medicine deep into the lungs or infiltrate cancer cells while leaving normal ones alone

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