Researchers develop anticancer drugs using nanofibers

TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) – Researchers in Tehran University of Medical Sciences have developed a nanofiber mesh to deliver anticancer medications to the cells. The new nanofiber mesh is an approach to synthetic polymers technology where a bio-adoptable and biodegradable component improves the efficacy of anticancer medications through rapid delivery in cellular level. Mohammad Irani, PhD student of Chemical Engineering in Amir Kabir University of Technology said that the rate of drug delivery in the developed mesh is 30 days and the nanodrug would keep its detoxifying properties for 72 hours. “The electrospinning process has contributed to develop nanodrug; nanofibers and carbon nanotubes are constituent part of the mesh and have very high area to volume ratio, which provides optimum conditions to load drug in a very small area of the nanostructure,” explained the researcher. “The mesh provides controlled and long-term delivery of drugs to cells; this significantly reduces the toxic effects of anticancer drugs; carbon nanotubes establish bonds with anticancer drugs such as Doxorubicin HCl and improve their loading into the nanofiber mesh for their unique mechanical and thermal properties,” Irani added. “The research project sought to develop industrial composite nanofiber cell scaffolds as drug deliverers; the future research would investigate the applications of nanofibers as anticancer drugs and analgesic compounds which require longer delivery times,” he said. “Recently, chitosan-graffen oxide composites have resulted in satisfying findings; to develop the nanodrug, carbon nanotubes of several walls are developed and the nanodrug is loaded into polymeric solution of poly-lactic acid-poly-ethylene glycol to produce a nanofiber composite entrapping nanodrug in the resultant mesh,” Irani explained. “The rate of loading drug and its delivery in nanocomposite was studied in the course of 60 days; the nanofibers were tested on lung cancer A549 cells,” he told Mehr News. “Most of the anticancer drugs have poor selectivity and high cytotoxicity; to prevent these harmful properties, a drug delivery system is to be planned to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic measures to fight cancer and at the same time, minimizing the lethal impact of the drugs on nearby tissues,” Irani said.