Nanoparticle News and Research

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In nanotechnology, a particle is defined as a small object that behaves as a whole unit in terms of its transport and properties. It is further classified according to size: in terms of diameter, fine particles cover a range between 100 and 2500 nanometers, while ultrafine particles, on the other hand, are sized between 1 and 100 nanometers.

Matrix metalloproteinase-assisted triggered release of liposomal contents

Cancer cells display a variety of proteins on their outer membranes that are not present on the surface of normal cells.

16 Jan 2008

Cancer cell targeting using multiple aptamers conjugated on nanorods

Aptamers, short stretches of DNA or RNA that can act much like antibodies, have shown promise as targeting agents for selective nanoparticle trafficking to tumors.

16 Jan 2008

Polymeric nanoparticles for tumor vaccines

The quest for an effective antitumor vaccine has received a boost from the results of work aimed at developing a nanoparticle that delivers tumor antigens to the immune system cells that trigger antibody production.

16 Jan 2008

Nanobac announces Baylor initial results for nanoparticle and gall stone formation study

Nanobac Pharmaceuticals Inc has announced that scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine, working under a collaborative agreement with Nanobac, have cited evidence showing the presence of calcifying nanoparticles (CNPs) in surgically resected gallbladders with cholelithiasis (Gall Stones).

15 Jan 2008

New magnetic method of delivering cells and genes to repair injured or diseased organs

Scientists have used magnetic fields and tiny iron-bearing particles to drive healthy cells to targeted sites in blood vessels.

8 Jan 2008

Novavax's new bird flu vaccine could bolster the arsenal against a pandemic

The drug company Novavax has announced that it's experimental avian flu vaccine has proved to be both safe and effective in Phase I/IIa trials in humans.

20 Dec 2007

Re-engineered Gleevec reduces heart risks

Using a new bottom-up approach for rational drug design, researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have reengineered the powerful anticancer drug imatinib - best known by its brand name Gleevec - to more specifically target one type of cancer while potentially curbing a rare life-threatening cardiotoxic side effect.

4 Dec 2007

New technique enables the detection of biomolecules' dynamic reactions in a single living cell

By taking advantage of the signature frequency by which organic and inorganic molecules absorb light, the team of researchers, led by Luke Lee, professor of bioengineering and director of UC Berkeley's Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center, can determine in real time whether specific enzymes are activated or particular genes are expressed, all with unprecedented resolution within a single living cell.

19 Nov 2007

Super-tiny structures for biomedical research

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is host to a new nanomedicine institute focused on developing super-tiny structures for biomedical research.

19 Nov 2007

Cancer victim comes up with a possible alternative to chemo

A cancer victim has invented a machine that could well replace traditional chemotherapy for the treatment of the disease.

5 Nov 2007

Non-invasive radio waves heat up nanotubes to destroy cancer

Cancer cells treated with carbon nanotubes can be destroyed by non-invasive radio waves that heat up the nanotubes while sparing untreated tissue, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University has shown in preclinical experiments.

2 Nov 2007

Merck Serono and EPFL announce neuroscience, oncology and drug delivery partnership

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, and EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, announced the signing of a research collaboration agreement in the areas of Neuroscience, Oncology and Drug Delivery. Under this agreement, three Merck Serono-endowed Chairs will be created at EPFL: in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's; in cancer, in the framework of the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC); and in innovative drug delivery technologies, for instance nanoparticle vaccines.

1 Nov 2007

New type of biodegradable nanoparticle for drug delivery

The spherical structures can encapsulate various fat-soluble medicines, which makes it easier to target tumour tissue. These nanoballs are highly promising carriers for the controlled release of anticancer drugs. Rijcken recently gained her doctorate for this research from Utrecht University.

24 Oct 2007